Aurora Potter and the Philosopher's stone
by Nightmare7795
Summary: My own They read the stoires series. Better summary inside, if your going to reveiw this and say something not nice please go easy I'm a first time writer but I except all types of criticism. T to be safe
1. It begins

Disclaimer:I own nothing T_T

Dumbledore sighed as he looked at the house or rather manor before him, Potter manor. It hasn't been used since the war, the old headquarters of the of the Phoenix. It looked splendid as ever due to thefact Dumbledore sent some of the school elves to clean it in case it was ever needed again. Well it was needed now, he thought as he looked at it. There was going to be plenty of guests staying over thenext 2 weeks. To read books about the future or rather Aurora Potter's future, he thoughtas he rembered the letter he got last week.

He had been in his office thinking about how much trouble it was going to be getting a new Defence aiainst the dark arts teacher, when a letter suddenly landed on his desk. He looked at it for a few seconds making sure it was safe to read then opened it and read

_Dear Professor Dumbledore_

_This might be hard for even you to belive but we have sent this letter from 14 years into the future, yes we know it is dangerous to mess with time but we had too. In our time Lord Voldemort was brought back but then died permanently a few years later, but many lives were lost. So we wish to change the future, we have sent back 7 books that will help you they are about Aurora Potter's years at Hogwarts but you mustn't read them alone you have to read them with the people we list no more, no less._

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Severus Snape_

_Aurora Potter_

_Hermione Granger and her parents_

_Arthur and Molly Weasley and all of their childern_

_Neville Longbottom_

_Hagrid_

_Nymphadora Tonks_

_Remember _Do Not _read until you have the others with you, have Professors Snape and McGonagall bring everyone to Potter manor, tell the Grangers about magic and Hermione is a witch and Aurora dosen't know magic is real her aunt and uncle told her her parents died in a car crash and thats how she got her scar so please have who ever you send to get tell them to tell about Voldemort and that shes famous._

_ Love the Golden Trio _

Dumbledorewalked into the house then went straight into the living room to see that everyone the letter mentioned was there. Arthur and Molly and all their kids Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and Geroge, Ron, and Tiberius Prewett Molly's brother Fabian's son. The twins, Ron, Tiberius, Tonks, and Charlie were all talking with Neville Longbottom about Quidditch.

Professer Snape sitting queitly in a corner ignoring everyone, Professor McGonagall telling Hermione Granger and her Parents all about transfiguration. And Hagrid telling Aurora Potter all about the dangerous creatures he'd love to own.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and everyone stopped talking to look at him, Dumbledore smiled and said " I trust you all Know the reason your all here? " Everyone nodded and Hermione called out a

respectful " Yes sir, were here to read books about the future." she said " that is correct Ms. Granger the books that have been sent to us are about Ms. Potter's future, now before we begin there is another letter we have to read before we start. Ah here it is.

_Dear everyone_

_Now that you have all gathered we have a few more guests who will be brought to you from the past around 11 years or so the people we will sending are,_

_James Potter _

_Lily Potter_

_Remus Lupin _

_Sirius Black _

_Frnak Longbottom _

_Alice Longbottom_

_Fabian Prewett_

_Everyone please don't freak out about Sirius coming he is innocent but we won't tell you how you will all have to wait till the third book. But please do tell him about where he is so he won't freak out much when you get to the third book, also they will all becoming from the time right before Lily and Alice became pregnant. So good luck, and have fun_

_Love the Golden trio_

_P.S. Everyone from the past will apper in 5...4...3...2...1 Now!_

Everyone barely had time to register what that letter had told them when there was a flash of light and then they saw a group of people lying on the ground. As the group started to tisentangele

Dumbledore was about to start explaining to them where they were when two female voices yelled out at the same time, " WHAT DID YOU MARAUDERS DO THIS TIME?" Dumbledore chukled and talked before any of the guys could answer " It is nice to see nether of you two lost your tempers thought Lily, Alice this time for once it is not James or Sirius or Remus' fault. You all have simply coe to the future."

All of the time travelers looked at Dumbledore like he was crazy(Not that hard to belive) then started questioning him finally after half an hour they were done and Sirius only had one question left.

" So Albus where is my goddaughter?" before Dumbledore could answer Lily asked " Sirius what makes you think your godfather?" Sirius looked at her for a sec then said, " James promised I could be godfather to his childern in 6th year. So where is she Albus?" he asked again

Dumbledore smiled then said " She is right here James, Lily meet your daughter Aurora Potter." James and Lily were speachless Aurora looked almost exactly like lily. She had pale skin that looked like it

never tanned, Dark long red hair that brushed her hips though it was messy like James' hair was, looked young for her age, small and delicate, Like Lily but she had the same Dark blue eyes as James(I know James really has brown or hazel eyes but I always imagine his eyes blue )

" And Frank, Alice your son Neville, Fabian your son Tiberius." the next few minutes were tear filled meetings between childern and their parents.

Though soon after Dumbledore called for attention " Now that everyone is here shall we start reading? Yes I think I will read first the first book is **Aurora Potter and the Philosopher's stone**"

He said " The first chapter is called **The-Girl-Who-Lived**"


	2. The Girl who lived

Disclaimer: It is sadly true, but I own nothing not even Sirius. Now please excuse me why I go that dark corner over there and cry T_T

" Okay, everyone let us start reading." said Dumbledore

**The Philosophers stone,**

**The-Girl-Who-Lived**

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive-**

" Mr. and Mrs. Dursley? number four, Privet Drive? thats my sister and her husband they live in Privet Drive, why would the book start with them?" asked Lily

No one answered her. They didn't know either.

**were proud to say they that they were normal, thank you very much.**

" Normal," said Sirius " yeah sure they are. whatever makes them happy." Everyone laughed then Dumbldore continued

**They were the last people you'd excpet to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

Fred, George, Fabian, Tiberius, and the marauders all started to snore loudly at this and Ron said " Wow! these people sound really boring."

" Oh they are," said Aura Looking at the boys pretending to be asleep in amusment " They just don't know they are." After they guys stopped Albus continued but you could see his lips twitching fighting a smile.

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnungs, which made drills.**

" What are drills?" everyone but Hermione, her parents, Lily and Aura asked.

Lily rolled her eyes " Drills are tools muggles use to makes holes in the ground."

Mr. Weasley opened his mouth to ask more but a glare from Mrs. Weasley made him shut his mouth.

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck,**

**which came in useful as she spent so much of her time craning over graden fences, spying on neighbors.**

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

Aura giggled at that.

"Whats so funny about that?" asked Ron

" Dudley is many things, but small is not one of them. Trust me I've seen baby pictures he looks like a beach ball in them." Aura told them all

All the kids-marauders and Fabian included- laughed at that. But stopped when Mrs. Weasley, Alice, Lily and McGonagall glared at them.

**They Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would dicover it. They didn't think they could bear it it if anyone found out the Potters.**

" HEY theirs nothing wrong with Lily and Aura!" yelled Sirius and Remus.

" Yeah," said James " theirs nothing wrong wth the pot- Hey what about me?" he asked outraged.

" Well Prongs everyone knows theres something wrong with you so..." Sirius trailed off, Remus just nodded his head in agreement.

" Traitors." muttered James

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years ; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her husband were as undursleyish **

" Is that even a word?" asked Neville

" No it's not, and it sounds like its a good thing to be undursleyish." said Hermione

Her parents looked at her a little shocked but couldn't really argue.

**as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street.**

" They'd say 'wow what a cool looking family. why are they visiting the Dursleys their stupid and boring'." said James

**The Dursleys knew the Potters had a small daughter, but they had never even seen her. This girl was another reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

" A child like what exactly?" asked Lily in a dangerous voice that made James scoot a little away, while Aura just smiled happily. No one had ever defended her before.

**When Mr. and Mrs Durslely woke up on the dull, gray tuesday our story starts , there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley himmed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

" Why his most boring tie?" asked Charlie

" Because he is-" said Fred

" a boring Person." finished Geroge.

**None of them noticed a large twany owl flutter past the window.**

**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up hus briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed , because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.**

" Brat!" all the kids said

**" Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his carand backed out of number four's drive.**

**It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map.**

" Minnie!" shouted the marauders and fabian

Professer McGonagall glared but they just grinned at her.

Tiberius looked curious " Minnie?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, The twins were starting to grin themselves.

Fabian nodded and said "It's what me and your uncle call her," he pointed to the marauders " Those gits call her Minnie too."

Tiberius turned to the twins and said only two words " Professor Minnie." all three grinned.

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen-then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in he could have been thinking of? It must have been a trick od the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive-no, _looking_ at the sign; cats couldn't read maps _or_ signs.**

" Thats what-"Geroge said

" you think-" Fred said

" Wait the git can think?" the twins asked

**Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.**

**but on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual moringing traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.**

" But cloaks aren't strange." said a confused James

" Actually cloaks haven't been worn by, uh muggles in centuries." Mrs. Granger told him

" Really?" Ron asked " Wicked!" he said

**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes-the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weridoes standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly. Dursley was enraged to see a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald green cloak! The nerve of hi But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt-these people were obviously collecting for something... yes, that would be it.**

" Idiot"

**The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.**

**mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. _He _didn't see the owls swoopingpast in board daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead.**

All the pure-bloods looked confused and Ron said " But owls aren't that odd."

" To wizards maybe, but most muggles have never seen an owl before not even at night." Hermione told him

**Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime.**

" See."

**Mr. Dursley, however had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people . He made several important phone calls and shouted a bit more.**

" Well isn't he a pleasent bloke." said Srirus sarcastically.

**He was in a very good mood until lunchtime when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.**

**He'd forgotten all about the people in the claoks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy.**

**This bunch was whispering excitedly, too. and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying**

**" The Potters, that's right,that's what I heard-"**

**"- yes, their daughter Aurora-"**

" What? what about the Potters? Why are they talking about Aura?" asked a very worried Lily

" I don't know Lils" James answered

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead.**

" YES!" shouted Sirius " hes dead!"

" It's just a saying Padfoot." said Remus

" I know that"

" I wish." muttered Aura under her breath.

**Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.**

**He dashed back across the road , hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind.**

**He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking ... no he was being stupid.**

" Really, he finally figured it out?" asked James and Aura at the same time, then looked at each other.

Aura smiled she liked that she was like her father in some way.

**Potter wasn't an unusaul name. He was sure there were lots of people named Potter who had a daughter called Aurora**

" Oh yeah, 'cause Aurora is such a common name." said Fabian sarcastically

**Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his neice _was _called Aurora, he'd never even seen the girl. It might have been Anastasia. Or Ariana.**

Dumbledore felt a pain in his chest when he heard his sisters name.

**There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley ; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her - if _he'd _had a sister like that...**

" A sister like what excatly?" growled Remus and Sirius menacingly making the people sitting near them scoot away

**but all the same, thouse people in the cloaks... He found it a lot harder concetrate on drillsthat afternoon and when he left the building at five o' clock , he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

" Oh I hope Uncle Vernon didn't hurt the poor person." said Aura

**" Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell.**

Aura gasped and everyone looked at her "He knows how to say sorry?"

everyone laughed thinking she was joking, but Lily and James noticed that she looked really shocked and not just acting like it. Ron and Hermione noticed too but thought they'd ask about that later.

**It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearin a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face spilt into a wide smile and he said in a very squeakyvoice that made passersby stare, " Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"**

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley ariund the middle and walked off.**

Aura was speechless for a moment then she wondered out loud " How could he have hugged Uncle Vernon?and lived"

**Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

As soon as Dubledore finished that sentence all the jokesters and prankers let out gasps of shock

" How could someone-"

"-not approve of imagination?"

" Thats a crime! that is."

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw-and it didn't improve his mood- was the tabby cat he'd spotted this morning.**

**It was now sitting on his graden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around it's eyes.**

**" Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly.**

" Thats not going to work!" sang the marauders

**The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.**

The jokesters in the room shuddered all having dealt with the same glare before many times.

**Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

**Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problem with here daughter and how Dudley learned a new word. (Won't!).**

" Oh yes, 'cause thats such a nice word to learn." Mrs. Weasley muttered to her husband, Mr. Weasley nodded in agreement.

**Mr. Dursley tried to act normally, When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

**_" And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been acting very unuaslly today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every driection since sunrise. Excperts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed there sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin. " Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"_**

**_" Well Ted," said the weatherman, " I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire_, _and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating the Bonfire Night early- it's not until next week folks! But I can promise a wet one tonight."_**

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britian? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters... Mrs Dursley came into the living room carrying teo cups of teas. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. " Er- Petunia, dear- you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?" As he had excpected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all they normally pretended she didn't have a sister. **

" HEY! If anyone should pretend they don't have a sister it's my mom, you stupid horse!" shouted Aura

Everyone looke at her shocked, while Aura realized what she had said then she clamped a hand over her mouth in horror.

Slowly James started to nod and said " Well she has a point." Then he ruffled Aura's hair and said " That's my girl."

Aura blushed but smiled all same.

**" No," She said sharply. " Why?"**

**" Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. " Owls...shooting stars...and there were lots of funny-looking people in town today..."**

**" _So?_" snapped Mrs. Dursley.**

**" Well, I just thought...maybe...it was something to with..you know..._her _crowd."**

" What does he mean _Her crowd?_" snapped McGonagall.

" Excalty what he said," Lily said " Both Tuney and her husband can't stand anything to do with magic. It wouldn't surprise me if the word magic was Taboo in their house." she commented

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd the name " Potter." He decided he didn't dare.**

" _Coward. " _coughed one of the guys.

**Instead he said, as causally as he could, " Their daughter - she'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't she?"**

**" I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.**

**" What's her name again? Anna, isn't it?"**

**" Aurora. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

" How is Aurora a common name?" asked Ron.

" It's not," answered Charlie " but you have to remeber Ron these people aren't excatly the brightest."

" I think Aurora is a lovely name." muttered Lily

Alice agreed " Much better than Dudley." she said

**" Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. " Yes, I quite agree."**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front graden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something. **

**Was he imaining things? Could all this have anything do to with the Potters? If it did...if it got out that they were related to a pair of - well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

**The Dursley got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind... he couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over - it couldn't affect _them..._**

" Oh how I wish he was right for once." Aura said sadly Remus heard this and wondered what she meant, but didn't ask.

**How very wrong he was. **

**Mr. Dursley ight have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness.**

**It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all. **

" Dear lord Minnie! How could you stay still for so long?" Sirius asked

" Years of practise Mr. Black, years of practise."

**A man appered on the corner the cat had been watching, appered so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and it's eyes narrowed.**

All of McGonagall's fromer and present students shuddered and scooted away from McGonagall in fear. At the mention of her famous glare.

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hiar and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.**

" Dumbledore!" everyone shouted. Dumbledore just smiled, his eyes twinkling. Then said " If I may continue?" they all nodded a little sheepishly.

**This man's name was Albus Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome.**

" Oh, I did realize I just didn't care." He told them

McGonagll muttered under her breath " Typical."

Dumbledore looked at her " Did you say something Minevera?"

" Nothing, Albus nothing at all."

**He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize that he was being watched, beacuse he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, " I should have known."**

**He found what he was looking for in his inside his pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. **

" Thats awsome!" shouted Ron

" I want one!" Sirius yelled

**He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out there window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outerback inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**" Fancy seeing you here Professer McGonagall."**

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe looking woman who was wearing square glasses exaclty the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight looked distinctly ruffled. " How did you know it was me?" she asked **

**" My dear Profeser, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."**

" What cat besides McGonagall would sit on a wall all day?"

**" You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on abrick wall all day," said Professer McGonagall**

" No one asked you too." Fabian pointed out

" And why were you sitting on that wall all day My dear Minnie?" Tiberius asked, his only answer was a glare. He shrank back a little

**" All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have pasted a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."**

**Professer McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

" I do _not _sniff angrily." she sniffed angrily.

**" Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. " You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news."**

" We were a bit careless," Mrs. Weasley admitted

**She jerked her head back at the Dursley's dark living-room window. " I heard it. Flocks of owls...shooting stars...Well they're not completly stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."**

" My Gran thinks so too." Neville said. Everyone jumped they had forgotten he was there.

**" You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently " We've had percious little to celebrate for eleven years."**

**" I know that," said Professer McGonagall irritably. " But that's no reason for us to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in borad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors."**

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he would tell her something, but he didn't, soshe went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappered at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really _has _gone, Dumbledore?"**

**" It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore " We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

" A _what?_" asked all the pure-bloods.

**" A _what?_" **

**" A lemon drop. There a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."**

" No, Albus no one would like a lemon drop." McGongall said, Dumbledore put away the bag of sweets he had brought out then continued when everyone stopped laughing

**" No, thank you," said Professer McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the momment for lemon drops. " As I say,even if You-Know-Who _has _gone-"**

**" My dear Professer, surely a sensible person as yourself can call him by his name? All this You-Know-Who nonsens- for eleven years I have been trying to persuadepeople to call him by his proper name: _Voldemort_."**

Most of the wizards in the room flinched at the name, but Mrs. Granger looked curious.

" Uh, Professer Dumbledore How do you spell that?" she asked when she answered she asked another question " Did he ever fear anything?"

Mr. Weasley answered "The only thing You-Know-Who has ever feared is Albus Dumbledore."

" Actually Aruther Voldemort feared not only me but death too."

Mrs. Granger gave a little laugh and said " That's interesting, I know some french and actually Voldemort spilt into three parts Vol de mort literally means Flight from death."( It's really true look it up on goggle translate if you don't belive me.)

Dumbledore looke mildly impressed " Interesting." was all he said.

**Professer McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. " It all gets so confusing if we keep saying "You-Know-Who." I have never seen any reason to be frightend of saying Voldemort's name.**

" Fear of a name incease fear of the thing itsself."

**" I know you haven't," said Professer McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. " But you're different. Everyone knows your the only one You-Know- oh, all right, _Voldemort_ was frightend of."**

**" You flatter me," said Dumbledore clamly "Voldemort had powers I never have."**

" Yeah well you're just too noble to use them, sir." James said and Dumbledore chuckled

**" Only because you're too - well_ - noble_ to use them."**

Sirius, Remus and Fabian all gasped and jumped away from James

" You think like the strict one, Do not come near here demon!" Sirius hissed

Remus shook his head " I'm disappointed in you Prongs, thinking like a teacher."

" Hey it's not my fault! I said it first!"

They just shook their heads.

**It's lucky its dark I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."**

" Okay Professer three words: Too much Infromation." Tiberius said with a shudder.

**Professer McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the _rumors_ that are flying around. You know what they're saying? About why he's diappered? About what finally stopped him?"**

" What? What finally stopped him?" the marauders, Lily, Fabian, Frank, and Alice all leaned forward staring at the book, missing to sorrowful looks almost everyone was giving them.

**It seemed that Professer McGonagll had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to belive it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.**

**" What they're _saying_," she pressed on, " is that last night Voldemort turned up in Grodic's Hollow. He went to find the Potters.**

James and Lily didn't like the sound of that, and neither did the others from the past.

**The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - _dead."_**

Everyone from the past froze, not wanting to belive what Dumbledore had just read.

" I-is that true?" Lily asked looking up at Dumbledore with tears in her emerald eyes. Dumbledore nodded sadly.

Lily started to sob, James went to comfort her with tears running silently down his face.

Remus was shaking his head, he couldn't belive it James was his best friend and Lily was like a sister to him they couldn't die they just couldn't.

Alice was crying into Frank's chest Lily and her were like sisters, Why did Voldemort have to go after them? Why?

Sirius sat there stunned for a few seconds then he started to yell at Dumbledore demanding that he be told whos fault it was that Lily and James were dead, so he could kill them. No way was he going to let them die not if his life depended on it.

After half-a-hour the time travelers clamed down enough to read again.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professer McGongagall gasped."**

**" Lily and James... I can't belive it... I didn't want to belive it... Oh, Albus..."**

" Well who would've guessed Prongs appernetly Minnie does care. Or is it just Lils shes sad about?" Sirius said trying to act as normal as possible.

" Probably just Lily." answered James

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. " I know... I know..." he said heavily.**

**Professer McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. " That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Aurora.**

" WHAT? THAT BASTARD TRIED TO KILL MY DAUGHTER?" Lily screeched. James was also furious how _dare _that monster try to hurt his little girl.

" Um, Mom, Dad. I'm right here, perfectly fine." Aura said hesitantly. Both Lily and James both turned to look at her then they engufled her into Hagird like hugs muttering how they were going to get Voldemort for this somehow.

**But he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little girl. No one knows why or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Aurora Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone."**

Fabian looked awed and said " You have the coolest daughter ever you know that?" then he turned to his son. " Tiberius make sure you marry her in the future having the girl who defeated Voldemort as your wife will make you rich, and she seems like a nice girl."

Tiberius' face turned as red as his hair and he hit his father on the arm, saying his dad was stupid at the same time. James and Sirius on the other hand were reaching for their wands both planning to hex and jinx Fabian for dare saying that his daughter/goddaughter was ever going to get married nope, no way no how.

But a glare from Lily stopped them from doing anything.

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

**" It's - it's _true?" _faltered Professer McGonagall. " After all he's done... all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little girl? It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him...but how in the name of heaven did Aurora survive?"**

**" We can only guess," said Dumbledore. " We may never know."**

**Professer McGonagall pulled out a lace hankercheifand dabbed at her eyes beneath her specttacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense toDumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, " Hagrid's late. T suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

**" Yes," said Professer McGonagall. " And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here of all places?"**

**" I've come to bring Aurora to her aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."**

Aura sighed sadly at this. but on one noticed. James told Dumbledore he was crazy for wanting to bring Aura there. and Lily was shocked speechless.

**" You don't mean - you _can't _mean the people who live _here?" _cried Professer McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. " Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching these people all day. You couldn't find two people less like us. And they've got this son - I saw himkicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Aurora Potter can't come and live here!"**

" Come on Dumbledore listen to Minnie." Sirius muttered.

**" It's the best place for her," said Dumbledore firmly. " Her aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to her when she's older. I've written them a letter."**

" Oh yes, Albus a letter one they've completely ignored appernently." Mumbled McGonagall.

**" A letter?" repeated Professer McGonagll faintly, sitting back on the wall. " Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand her! She'll be famous - a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Aurora Potter day in the future - there will be books written about Aurora - every child in our world will know her name!"**

Aura paled and asked " It's not right? There is no Aurora Potter day right?"

Professer McGonagall nodded and smiled silghtly at the young girl's obvious relief.

"**Exactly." said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any gir's head. Famous before she can walk and talk! Famous for something she won't even remember! Can you see how much better off she'll be, growing up away from all that until she's ready to take it?"**

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes — yes, you're right, of course. But how is the girl getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Aurora underneath it.**

"Ugh, bad mental images!" the twins shouted. Everyone chuckled.

"**Hagrid's bringing her."**

"**You think it —**_**wise **_**— to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

"**I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.**

**I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to — what was that?"**

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky — and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

"That's so cool." Tiberius said.

" Thank you," said Sirius. " she's mine."

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so **_**wild **_**— long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

"**Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"**

"**Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got her, sir."**

"**No problems, were there?"**

"**No, sir — house was almost destroyed, but I got her out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. She fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."**

" Aw." all the girls except Aura cooed, Aura just blushed

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby girl, fast asleep. Under a tuft of dark red hair over her forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

"**Is that where —?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

"**Yes," said Dumbledore. "She'll have that scar forever."**

" I don't think I like my scar anymore." Aura told everyone.

"**Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

"**Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well — give her here, Hagrid — we'd better get this over with."**

**Dumbledore took Aurora in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.**

"**Could I — could I say good-bye to her, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Aurora and gave her what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

" I take offense to that!" Sirius exclaimed

" Why do you take offense to that Mr. Black

Sirius took one look at Professer McGonagall then said " Nothing." then sat back down from when he'd jumped up

McGonagall looked at him suspicion for a few seconds then turned back to the book.

"**Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "You'll wake the Muggles!"**

"**S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it —Lily an' James dead — an' poor little Aurora off ter live with Muggles —"**

"**Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Aurora gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Aurora's blankets, and then came back to the other two.**

"A doorstep?" Lily asked. " You Left her on a _doorstep?"_

" I can asurre you Mrs. Potter Aurora was perfectly safe." Dumbledore said. Lily glared for a few mores seconds then just took a deep breath and gestured for him to continued._  
_

**For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

"**Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

"**Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I best get this bike away. G'night, Professor McGonagall — Professor Dumbledore, sir."**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

"**I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.**

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

"**Good luck, Aurora," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.**

" Thanks I really needed it." Aura muttered

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Aurora Potter rolled over inside her blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside her and she slept on, not knowing she was special, not knowing she was famous, not knowing she would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that she would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by her cousin Dudley… She couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Aurora Potter — the girl who lived!"**

"Alright, that's the end of the chapter." Dumbledore said. " Who would like to read next?"

Hermione's hand shot up and Dumbledore handed her the book chuckling

" Chapter 2

**The vaishing glass," **Hermione read.**  
**


	3. The Vanishing glass

Disclaimer: WHY DON'T I OWN ANYTHING?

"**The Vanishing Glass,**" Hermione read.

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their neice on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all.**

"That sounds right boring mate," Fred said with a shudder.

**The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets — but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another child lived in the house, too.**

The maruders were all glaring at the book they might not have known Aura for very long but they already loved her very much.

**Yet Aura Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. Her Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.**

"**Up! Get up! Now!"**

" Not a very pleasent way to get woken up." Aura said. Lily nodded in agreement thats how Tuney always woke her up during the summer.

**Aura woke with a start. Her aunt rapped on the door again.**

"**Up!" she screeched. Aura heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. She rolled onto her back and tried to remember the dream she had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. She had a funny feeling she'd had the same dream before.**

" Wow, Aura thats a very impressive mermory you've got." Remus commented McGonagall and Dumbledore agreed

**Her aunt was back outside the door.**

"Go away foul woman!" Fred shouted.

"**Are you up yet?" she demanded.**

"**Nearly," said Aura.**

"**Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."**

Everyone stared at the book and then began to laugh.

"Duddy?" Alice asked.

"Yeah." Aura said through her laughter. "Just wait. It gets better."

**Aura groaned.**

"**What did you say?" her aunt snapped through the door.**

" She didn't say anything, you ugly horse." Tiberius muttered

"**Nothing, nothing…"**

**Dudley's birthday — how could she have forgotten? Aura got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. She found a pair under her bed and, after pulling a spider**

Ron shuddered at the mention of the spider.

**off one of them, put them on. Aura was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where she slept.**

There was dead silence in the room for a few seconds then everyone started to yell except Aura and Dumbledore.

Dumbledore turned to Aura clamly and asked " Aurora, have you ever told anyone about this?"

Aura shook her head no. " Well I told my kindergraden teacher, but she didn't belive me. And when I got home, Dudley told Uncle Vernon what I told my teacher so he punished me, and I never told anyone again." she shrugged and looked away uncomfortability " it's no big deal."

soon everyone clamed down, but they were all still mad.

**When she was dressed she went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike.**

"Err, the what?" Fred asked.

"Muggle things." Mr. Granger told him. " Exspensive Muggle things." he added

**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Aura, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise — unless of course it involved punching somebody.**

" That better have not been you." Sirius growled

**Dudley's favorite punching bag was Aura, but he couldn't often catch her. Aura didn't look it, but she was very fast**.

" Thank heaven for that." Lily said.

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Aura had always been small and skinny for her age.**

" Nah," said Sirius " Lily was a midget when we started school, and look she still is!"

Lily glared at him but he just grinned at her " Come on Leprechaun don't be mad."

" Leprechaun?" Ron asked

" Yeah cause she's small, has red hair, and green eyes." Remus explained

**She looked even smaller and skinnier than she really was because all she had to wear were old clothes of aunt Petunia's, and aunt Petunia was alot bigger than she was. Aura had a roundish heart-shaped face, very pale skin, dark red hair,**

" Lily." Remus began

**and dark blue eyes.**

" And James." finished Sirius

**Aura had really long hair that went down to her hips( I've seen real people with hair that long,kinda werid to see)and her bangs were always in the way of her eyes. The only thing Aura liked about her own appearance was a very thin scar on her forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.**

" Do you still like it now?" Ron asked

" No not really" she answered

**She had had it as long as she could remember, and the first question she could ever remember asking her Aunt Petunia was how she had gotten it.**

"**In the car crash when your parents died," she had said.**

" A car crash? thats what they told her. Oh, Tuney I'm really going to get back at you for this." Lily said angrily

"**And don't ask questions."**

"But how would you learn?" Remus, Hermione and McGonagall asked.

**Don't ask questions — that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.**

"Ah young Aura—" Fred said.

"—a quiet life is a boring life." George said.

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Aura was turning over the bacon.**

"**Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

"Not gonna work," Aura and James snorted.

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Aura needed a haircut. Aura must have had more haircuts than the rest of the girls in her class put together, but it made no difference, her hair simply grew that way — all over the place.**

" And that is the greatness of the Potter hair." James said with a smirk

**Aura was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother.**

" Wait they made you cook?" Mrs Weasley asked

" Yeah, since I was 7," Aura told Mrs. Weasley

to say everyone was shocked was an understatement

The twins pulled out some parchment and a quill and started to make a list of different pranks to pull on the Dursleys.

**Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head.**

"Pig in a wig much?" Sirius said

**Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel — Aura often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

"Hey I think like Aura!'

**Aura put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.**

"**Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."**

"What!" Everyone—except for Aura—yelled.

" Not even Regulus got that much, and he was mum and dad's perfect little prince that they loved to spoil." Sirius said shocked

"**Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy."**

"**All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. Aura, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down her bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

"Smart move mate," Ron said seriously. He never joked when it came to food.

" Oh, Aura sweetie," Lily gasped " make sure you chew we don't want you to choke."

" Uh, Mum it already happened and I think I'd remeber choking. Don't worry I'm fine."

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right?"**

"Spoiled brat," Ron muttered.

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty… thirty…"**

" He can't even count?" Remus asked

" Nope."

"**Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

"**Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then."**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled.**

"**Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

"He's proud of that?" James asked surprised

"It's uncle Vernon," Aura shrugged. " Of course he's proud of his son being selfish."

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Aura and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR.**

**He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.**

"**Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take her."**

"He has a name!" James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily growled.

**She jerked her head in Aura's direction.**

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Aura's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Aura was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Aura hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made her look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

Aura shuddered. " It's horrible, I mean don't hate cats or anything but still too many _cats._"

"**Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Aura as though she'd planned this. Aura felt a little sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy to feel much when she reminded herself it would be a whole year before she had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.**

"**We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

"No, Merlin NO!" Lily yelled when everyone looked confused she explained " Marge is Vernon's sister I only met her once at Tuney and Vernon's wedding but Marge is as bad as her brother. I don't want her anywhere near my daughter."

"**Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the girl."**

**The Dursleys often spoke about Aura like this, as though she wasn't there — or rather, as though she was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

"I don't think Aura's a slug," Fred said.

"More like a snail." George finished.

"**What about what's-her-name, your friend — Yvonne?"**

"**On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

"**You could just leave me here," Aura put in hopefully (she'd be able to watch what she wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

" That won't work, now that you suggested it," Sirius told her. " they'll want to make you as miserable as poissble."

" I know."

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

"**And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

"Do it!" the twins, marauders, Fabian and Tiberius shouted, bouncing up and down like three year olds.

"Don't do it!" the girls said.

"**I won't blow up the house," said Aura, but they weren't listening.**

the pranksters all fake - sobbed at this " What a good little girl! Oh where did we go wrong with her!"

"**I suppose we could take her to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "… and leave her in the car…"**

" That's child abuse!" Mrs. Granger yelled " They can't do that! What if she gets heat stroke?"

" I don't think they care about that, Mum." Hermione said glaring at the book.

"**That car's new, she's not sitting in it alone…"**

" Oh, yes it's the car that's important not your neice." said Remus sarcastially.**  
**

**Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying — it had been years since he'd really cried — but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

" Brat!" the kids all yelled

"**Dinky Duddydums,**

"I told you it got better," Aura said through her laughter. Now that she was away from the Dursleys, she could laugh at Dudley all he wanted without fear of punishment.

"Poor sap," Alice wheezed.

"How did he have friends?" Sirius wondered.

"With luck, and the fact that they were all stupid." Aura said with a nod of her head.

**don't cry, Mummy won't let her spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

"**I… don't… want… her… t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "She always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Aura a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

**Just then, the doorbell rang — "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically — and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother.**

**Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

"Can't cry in front of your friends?" Fred said with a wicked grin.

**Half an hour later, Aura, who couldn't believe her luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in her life. Her aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with her, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Aura aside.**

"**I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Aura's, "I'm warning you now, girl — any funny business, anything at all — and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."**

"They better not have," Lily said in a dark tone. Aura shifted around in his spot, ignoring the eyes of everyone in the room.

"**I'm not going to do anything," said Aura, "honestly…"**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe her. No one ever did.**

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Aura and it was just no good telling the Dursleys she didn't make them happen.**

" It was your accidental magic." Mr. Weasley told her

" I know that now, Mr. Weasley."

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Aura coming back from the barbers looking as though she hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut her hair so short she was almost bald except for her bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly at Aura, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where she was already laughed at for her baggy clothes and being the shortest person in the whole grade.  
**

**Next morning, however, she had gotten up to find her hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off.**

" And that people is why Potter hair is the best." said James

Fred high fived Aura at the fact that her hair was awesome.

**She had been given a week in her cupboard for this, even though she had tried to explain that she couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

"Magic, idiots." Tiberius growled. "You can't punish someone because their hair grew back. That'd be like punishing the twins for being pranksters. It just happens."

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force her into a revolting old dress of her's (pink with a very flowery design).**

"Eww"

**The harder she tried to pull it over her head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Aura.**

"Nice!"

**Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to her great relief, Aura wasn't punished.**

"At least you weren't punished." Lily said with a smile

**On the other hand, she'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing her as usual when, as much to Aura's surprise as anyone else's, there she was sitting on the chimney.**

"YOU APPERATED!" Ron shouted in surprise.

"No, she flew." Fred said in shock.

"Apperated."

"Flew."

"That's some powerful accidental magic." Dumbledore told her. He was very impressed

**The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Aura's headmistress telling them Aura had been climbing school buildings. But all she'd tried to do (as she shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of her cupboard) was jump behind the big trashcans outside the kitchen doors. Aura supposed that the wind must have caught her in mid-jump.**

"Note to self: teach Harry how to lie." Fred muttered.

" You will not tech her how to lie Fred Weasley, Do you understand?" Mrs. Weasley said with a glare " Yes ma'am." He said

When Mrs. Weasley turned away Fred looked back at Aura and mouthed _I'll teach you at school._ Aura smiled and nodded

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, her cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.**

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Aura, the council, Aura, the bank, and Aura were just a few of his favorite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles.**

"You know, I don't think he likes talking about Aura much," Neville said.

" Really Neville? Huh I thought he liked talking about her, Oh well can't be right all the time." Ron said

Aura and Hermione giggled, they both hoped the boys would be their friends at Hogwarts.

"… **roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.**

"**I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Aura, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."**

" She's going to to be a Griffindor." said Sirius with a smile

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Aura, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"**

"Yes they do!" All the prankster sang.

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

"**I know they don't," said Aura. "It was only a dream."**

**But she wished she hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than her asking questions, it was her talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon — they seemed to think she might get dangerous ideas.**

" My fellow pranksters, if you think we should all watch cartoons after this say I!"

" I!" all pranksters shouted. McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley glared at them all, but they just grinned innocently.

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Aura what she wanted before they could hurry her away, they bought her a cheap lemon ice pop.**

Everyone glared at the book until Aura piped up, "It wasn't bad."

"And at least they bought her something," Hermione pointed out.

**It wasn't bad, either, Aura thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

Everyone laughed and James said " That's my girl."

**Aura had the best morning she'd had in a long time. She was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting her.**

**They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Aura was allowed to finish the first.**

**Aura felt, afterward, that she should have known it was all too good to last.**

"What happended?" Lily asked worried.

"Please continue Hermione," Aura said. She really hoped the book wouldn't spend too much time on her home life.

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can — but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.**

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.**

"**Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

"**Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

"**This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

**Aura moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. She wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself — no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least she got to visit the rest of the house.**

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Aura's.**

**It winked.**

"Wait, what?" Alice asked.

"Snakes don't have eyelids," Remus said, a little confused.

**Aura stared. Then she looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. She looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Aura a look that said quite plainly:**

"**I get that all the time."**

"**I know," Aura murmured through the glass, though she wasn't sure the snake could hear her. "It must be really annoying."**

"You're talking to a snake," Bill said faintly.

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

"**Where do you come from, anyway?" Aura asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Aura peered at it.**

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**

"**Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Aura read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see — so you've never been to Brazil?"**

"You're a parsel-mouth?" Lily asked Aura.

"I'm a _what_?"

"You can speak to snakes," Ron told her.

"Umm, sure?"

"How?" james asked.

"Ummm? No idea," Harry said. " Is- is being a parsel-mouth a bad thing?" Aura asked worried

" Parsel-tounge is considered a dark art," Lily said " But you're our daughter being a parsel-mouth dosen't change a thing. Right James?" she asked in a dangerous tone

" Not a thing Lily-flower. right guys?" asked scoting away from his wife nervously Sirius and Remus nodded.

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Aura made both of them jump. "DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"**

"Git"

**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.**

"**Out of the way, you," he said, punching Aura in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Aura fell hard on the concrete floor.**

The girls all glared at the book.

The twins snorted though at the image of Dudley waddling.

**What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened — one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.**

"Huh?**" **Lily asked.

**Aura sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished.**

All the kids were laughing hard, especially Aura as she remebered what happend. The adults were impressed and shocked that was powerful accidental magic.

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.**

**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Aura could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come… Thanksss, amiga."**

"Err, friendly snake?" Charlie said in surprise.

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.**

"**But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"**

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Aura had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Aura at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Aura was talking to it, weren't you, Aura?"**.

" Stupid git." Sirius growled

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Aura. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go — cupboard — stay — no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

"That's starvation!" Mrs. Weasley shouted.

**Aura lay in her dark cupboard much later, wishing she had a watch. She didn't know what time it was and she couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, she couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.**

"A true marauder!" James, Sirius and Remus shouted in glee.

**She'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as she could remember, ever since she'd been a baby and her parents had died in that car crash. She couldn't remember being in the car when her parents had died. Sometimes, when she strained her memory during long hours in her cupboard, she came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on her forehead.**

"The killing curse? You survived the _Killing_ curse?" James said faintly.

" Uh, I guess?"

"How?"

"I don't know"

"Translation: No clue." Ron said with a smirk.

**This, she supposed, was the crash, though she couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. She couldn't remember her parents at all.**

Everyone looked at Aura sadly, and Lily and James hugged her sadly. Wishing they could have been their for their daughter.

**Her aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course she was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.**

" You never even knew what we looked like before?" James asked. Aura shook her head and said " But I know what you and Mum look it now."

**When she had been younger, Aura had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take her away, but it had never happened;**

" Speaking of where are Remus, Peter or me?" Sirus asked everyone, no one answered.

**the Dursleys were her only family. Yet sometimes she thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know her. Very strange strangers they were, too.**

**A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to her once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Aura furiously if she knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything.**

**A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at her once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken her hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Aura tried to get a closer look.**

" Apperating."

**At school, Aura had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Aura Potter in her baggy old clothes, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

"I would like to disagree with Dudley's gang," Fred said with a solemn expression on his face.

"Who's next?" Hermione asked,

" I'll read." James said " Okay, the next chapter is call **The letters from no one.**


	4. Letters from no one

Disclaimer: Can I please at least own Sirius?

"**Letters From No One,"** James read.

"Hogwarts!" The Weasley children yelled.

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Aura her longest-ever punishment. **

"How long was it?" Lily asked.

Aura muttered something that no one could make out.

**By the time she was allowed out of her cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.**

"Poor Mrs. Figg," Hermione frowned.

**Aura was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader.**

**The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Aura Hunting.**

"I dislike that sport, let's try Dudley Hunting instead." Tiberius glared.

**This was why Aura spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where she could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came she would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in her life, he wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings.**

" No your not your going to Hogwarts." James told her.

" I know that now dad." Aura said amused

**Piers Polkiss was going there too. Aura, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High,**

"No, Aura's going to Hogwarts!" James yelled.

**the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny.**

"**They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he told Aura. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

"**No, thanks," said Aura. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it — it might be sick." Then she ran, before Dudley could work out what she'd said.**

Everyone roared with laughter

" You know, I bet five years could pass and I'll still be waiting for him to figure it out." Aura told everyone. And that renewed everyone's laughter.

**One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Aura at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Aura watch television and gave her a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.**

**That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats,**

"Gorgeous" Fred said, the sarcasm audible in every syllable.

**orange knickerbockers,**

"Lovely" George returned.

**and flat straw hats called boaters.**

"Amazing!" Tiberius finished for them, all three laughed while everyone else rolled their eyes.

**They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.**

"How in Merlin's name is hitting others good training for later life?" Remus asked.

"I haven't the foggiest," Fabian said.

**As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life.**

"That's really sad." Percy said.

"Yeah, shouldn't the proudest moment be when he's born or when he gets married?" Charlie asked.

"No one would want to marry into that family," Aura muttered.

**Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins,**

Everyone roared with laugher once again,

**he looked so handsome and grown-up. Aura didn't trust herself to speak. She thought two of her ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.**

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Aura went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. She went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.**

"**What's this?" she asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if she dared to ask a question.**

"She's not going to change just because you all are glaring at the book," Aura told them. Death glares were being sent to the book from all around the room.

"**Your new school uniform," she said.**

**Aura looked in the bowl again.**

"**Oh," she said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."**

"Aura's wit strikes again," Hermione laughed.

"I was being sarcastic." Aura said.

"**Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of my old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."**

**Aura seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue.**

" At least she has some sense, unlike her father." Remus muttered

" OI, I take offense to that!" James said.

**She sat down at the table and tried not to think about how she was going to look on her first day at Stonewall High — like she was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Aura's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.**

"Brat"

**They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.**

"**Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.**

"No way!"

"The prat actually has to do something?"

"IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!" The twins said.

"That was my ear!" Charlie and Percy yelled.

"**Make Aura get it."**

"Ah, now the world's back to normal."

"**Get the mail, Aura."**

"**Make Dudley get it."**

"**Poke her with your Smelting stick, Dudley."**

"How could they allow this?" Mrs. Weasley growled. "They're supposed to be adults."

**Aura dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and — **_**a letter for Aura**_**.**

"Hogwarts!" The Weasley children shouted again.

**Aura picked it up and stared at it, her heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in her whole life, had written to her.**

The cheerful mood that the kids had managed to fade as fast as it came.

**Who would? She had no friends, no other relatives — she didn't belong to the library, so she'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:**

_**Ms. A. Potter**_

_**The Cupboard under the Stairs 4 Privet Drive**_

_**Little Whinging**_

_**Surrey**_

"You know, it's amazing how accurate those letters are." Remus said. Everyone else was glaring at the book for bringing up the cupboard again.

" You know, we should have someone to stay with the quill when it's writing." Snape muttered to McGonagall who nodded.

**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink.**

**There was no stamp.**

**Turning the envelope over, her hand trembling, Aura saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter **_**H**_**.**

"Yay! Hogwarts!" Ron shouted.

"**Hurry up, girl!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.**

"That was a joke?" Fred said in disgust.

"Percy could come up with better." George finished.

**Aura went back to the kitchen, still staring at her letter. She handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.**

"You read it in there?" Sirius turned to his goddaughter.

" This never happened, Hagrid came brfore this." she told him, he nodded

**Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.**

"**Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk…"**

"**Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Aura's got something!"**

"Git."

**Aura was on the point of unfolding her letter,**

**which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of her hand by Uncle Vernon.**

"**That's **_**mine**_**!" said Aura, trying to snatch it back.**

"You tell him, Aura!" The twins yelled.

"**Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon,**

"Tons of people" said Percy.

**shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge.**

"Attractive," Hermione sniffed.

"**P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.**

**Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.**

"Choke, choke…."

"She probably dosen't , so stop chanting." Aura told the twins and Tiberius.

"**Vernon! Oh my goodness — Vernon!"**

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Aura and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.**

"If I any of my children did that,they wouldn't be able to sit down for a month." Mrs. Weasley said, the Weasley children all looked frighten.

"**I want to read that letter," he said loudly.**

"_**I **_**want to read it," said Aura furiously, "as it's **_**mine**_**."**

"Woo, go Aura!" Ron and Neville cheered.

"**Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.**

**Aura didn't move.**

"**I WANT MY LETTER!" she shouted.**

"**Let **_**me **_**see it!" demanded Dudley.**

"It's none of his business." Lily huffed.

"**OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Aura and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. Aura and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole;**

"Fight, fight, fight," the twins chanted.

"You all know who would win." Aura sighed. "The git's ten times my size."

**Dudley won, so Aura,**** laid flat on her stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.**

"**Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address — how could they possibly know where she sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"**

" Why would we watch their house?" Ron asked.

" Oh, who knows Ronnie maybe 'cause she's the Girl-Who-Lived maybe?" said Geroge with a raised eyebrow.

" Oh." Ron said turning red around the ears.

"**Watching — spying — might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.**

"**But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want —"**

**Aura could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.**

"**No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer… Yes, that's best… we won't do anything…"**

"It's not going to work," James sang.

"**But —"**

"**I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took her in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"**

Suddenly all the lights in the room went out, and everyone turned to look at Dumbledore who was shaking with anger.

" Sir,?" Lily asked hesitantly. Dumbledore took a deep breath and said in an angry, yet clam voice

" It is very dangerous to try and stamp out a child's magic." He turned to Aura " Ms. Potter I'm very sorry I ever put you there, I didn't realize they'd try anything like that. I will understand if you are not able to forgive me but remeber I'm so very sorry."

Aura gave Dumbledore a smile and said " It's okay sir, I guess you had your reasons. Hopefully the books will tell us what they are."

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Aura in her cupboard.**

"He fit!"

"**Where's my letter?" said Aura, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?"**

"**No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly.**

"No it wasn't!"

"**I have burned it."**

"**It was **_**not **_**a mistake," said Aura angrily, "it had my cupboard on it."**

"**SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling.**

**He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.**

"**Er — yes, Aura — about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking… you're really getting a bit big for it… we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom.**

"Second bedroom?" Lily hissed.

"That git had a _second bedroom?_" James said, his hands wrapping around the book dangerously. Remus had to take it away before James ripped the book in half.

"**Why?" said Aura.**

"You're questioning him?" Tonks asked.

"It was the first nice thing they did for me, I was curious." Aura said with a shrug.

"**Don't ask questions!" snapped her uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."**

**The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge),**

"A GUEST ROOM!" Hermione shouted. Mr. and Mrs. Granger started to plan different ways to get Aura out of that house while most of the others were yelling, at the end of all of it the book was being repaired for the sixth time.

**one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Aura one trip upstairs to move everything she owned from the cupboard to this room. She sat down on the bed and stared around her. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbor's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favorite program had been canceled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.**

**From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, "I don't **_**want **_**her in there… I **_**need **_**that room… make her get out…"**

"Aura needs that room, you pig!" Tonks spat.

**Aura sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday she'd have given anything to be up here. Today she'd rather be back in her cupboard with that letter than up here without it.**

"You, my friend, are insane." Ron said with a shake of his head. Though Aura beamed Ron had called her friend, they were friends!

**Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back. Aura was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing she'd opened the letter in the hall.**

"The git's eleven right?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah." Aura nodded.

"He acts like he's two." said Remus

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.**

**When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Aura, made Dudley go and get it.**

**They heard him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one! 'Ms. A. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive —'"**

"Git."

"If he wanted to read it, why did he announce it was there?" Alice asked.

"Because he's a stupid git," Aura told her.

**With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Aura right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Aura had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Aura's letter clutched in his hand.**

"At least Aura got to strangle him," Fred said trying to cheer everyone up.

"**Go to your cupboard — I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Aura. "Dudley — go — just go."**

**Aura walked round and round her new room. Someone knew she had moved out of her cupboard and they seemed to know she hadn't received her first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time she'd make sure they didn't fail. She had a plan.**

"Of course you did," Lily shook her head.

"Hey, who knows maybe it'll work."

**The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Aura turned it off quickly and dressed silently. She mustn't wake the Dursleys. She stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights.**

**She was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. Her heart hammered as she crept across the dark hall toward the front door —**

"**AAAAARRRGH!"**

**Aura leapt into the air; she'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat — something **_**alive**_**!**

**Lights clicked on upstairs and to her horror Aura realized that the big, squashy something had been her uncle's face.**

The room was full of laughter.

"Aura, you're our hero!" the marauders yelled while gasping for air.

"Nice one pup." Sirius panted.

**Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Aura didn't do exactly what she'd been trying to do. He shouted at Aura for about half an hour and then told her to go and make a cup of tea. Aura shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time she got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Aura could see three letters addressed in green ink.**

"What's with all the green?"

"**I want —" she began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before her eyes.**

**Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day.**

**He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.**

"Obsessed much?" Percy muttered.

"**See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't **_**deliver **_**them they'll just give up."**

"**I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon."**

"At least one of them has a brain," Hermione huffed.

"**Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me," said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.**

"And we're thankful for that." James said with a nod.

**On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Aura. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.**

**Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises.**

" He's lost it!" Tonks shouted happily

" He can't lose what he never had Tonks." Remus said, making Tonks grin at him. Remus couldn't help but notice Tonks was really cute- wait what was he thinking? This was Sirius' little cousin, sure she's grown up now but he's in the future! He'd have to stop thinking like that.

**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Aura found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two-dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.**

"**Who on earth wants to talk to **_**you **_**this badly?" Dudley asked Aura in amazement.**

" Plenty of people." Ron muttered.

" Oh, like you did and Tiberius did?" George teased.

" Shut it!" Ron and Tiberius yelled, while James and Sirius glared at the eleven and twelve years olds.

**On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy.**

"**No post on Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today —"**

" That's what you think, oaf." Alice said

" Oh I can't wait to see what happens now." Frank said with an excited grin on his face.

**Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Aura leapt into the air trying to catch one —**

Everyone roared with laughter, it was brilliant

Sirius and James got up and hugged a shocked McGonagall and said " We love you Minnie!"

"**Out! OUT!"**

**Uncle Vernon seized Aura around the waist and threw her into the hall.**

" HEY! Get your filthy hands off my daughter you Walrus!" Lily and James shouted.

**When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor.**

"**That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his mustache at the same time. "I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!"**

"Yep, he's lost it." Fred said with a nod.

"Gred, he never had it." George laughed.

" That's very true Forge he never had it."

**He looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag.**

**They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while.**

"**Shake 'em off… shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this.**

**They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.**

"Brat."

"Welcome to Aura's life."

**Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Aura shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Aura stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering…**

**They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.**

"Hey when can we eat?" Sirius asked. " We were going to eat but then we came here, please?"

A note floated down on Aura's head she read it aloud

_Your can eat after the next chapter, but first we insist you read the next chapter Sirius. Love The Golden Trio._

" Aw, come on, no fair!" Eveyone laughed at Sirius and the ridiculous pout on his face_.  
_

"'**Scuse me, but is one of you Ms. A. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk."**

**She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:**

_**Ms. A. Potter**_

_**Room 17**_

_**Railview Hotel**_

_**Cokeworth**_

**Aura made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked her hand out of the way. The woman stared.**

"Who wouldn't?"

"The family, minus Aura, resemble animals."

" Well, no Aura actually kind of reminds me of a kitten don't you agree?" everyone nodded their heads, " OI!" Aura yelled " I don't look like a kitten."

James patted her head " Sure, whatever you say, sweetheart." Aura glared

"**I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room.**

"**Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her.**

"well at least Tuney has a bit of sense." Lily said.

Snape nodded a little in agreement but quickly stopped.

**Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage.**

"**Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon.**

"No? Really?" Fabian asked, the sarcasm audible.

"Aura, if your cousin knows this he really has gone mad." Tonks told the younger girl.

**Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared.**

**It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley sniveled.**

"Brat."

"Git."

"Idiot."

"Alright, just let Dad read." Aura said, shaking her head. "Insult Dudley later."

"**It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a **_**television**_**."**

**Monday. This reminded Aura of something. If it **_**was **_**Monday — and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because of television — then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Aura's eleventh birthday.**

" HAPPY BIRTHDAY AURA!" pranksters shouted. McGonagall glared and said " No yelling."

" Hey, after the next chapter let's have a party!" Sirius suggested

**Of course, her birthdays were never exactly fun — last year, the Dursleys had given her a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks.**

Sirius growled at this, sounding and looking very much like the grim-like dog he could turn into. James went over to the twins and Tiberius who were bent over the _Dursley prank list_ they made earlier and made several great suggestions, and Lily swore revenge on her sister and brother in-law

**Still, you weren't eleven every day.**

**Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling.**

"Was it painful, like his other one?" Fred asked.

"Actually, it was creepy." Aura said with a small shudder.

**He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.**

"**Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!"**

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there.**

"**Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!"**

**A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-gray water below them.**

"**I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!"**

**It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house.**

**The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms.**

**Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas.**

**He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shriveled up.**

"**Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully.**

"He is an git," Reus muttered darkly.

**He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail.**

**Aura privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer her up at all.**

"Pessimistic much?" George asked.

**As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Aura was left to find the softest bit of floor she could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.**

"What!" the everyone all yelled.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger started to plan differnent ways they could get the Dursleys arrested for child neglect

**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Aura couldn't sleep. She shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, her stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Aura she'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. She lay and watched her birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.**

**Five minutes to go. Aura heard something creak outside. She hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although she might be warmer if it did.**

" That's a really sad thing to think." Mrs. Weasley said**  
**

**Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that she'd be able to steal one somehow.**

**Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?**

**One minute to go and she'd be eleven. Thirty seconds… twenty… ten… nine — maybe she'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him**

"Do it, do it, do it." the pranksters chanted.

— **three… two… one…**

**BOOM.**

" OW!" Lily yelled " James don't yell right in my ear."

" Sorry, love." James said with a small smile.

**The whole shack shivered and Aura sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

"That's the end of the chapter." James said. "Sirius, you're next."

"Alright." Sirius said, taking the book. "The next chapter is called '**The keeper of keys**.' Hey, that's Hagrid!"

"Read!" Everyone urged.


	5. The keeper of the keys

Dislaimer: I own nothing.

"**The Keeper of the Keys,"** Sirius read.

**BOOM.**

Everyone jumped as Sirius had shouted the word. Remus glared at him, then rubbed his ears obviously there was going to be a lot of yelling in this chapter. Damm his sensitive hearing.

**They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.**

"**Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.**

"What's a cannon?" all the pure-bloods asked.

"A long, round tube which muggles use in war." Hermione explained.

**There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands .Now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.**

" A gun?" Lily shrieked. "For Merlin's sake, is he crazy?"

" What's so bad a about a gun, what ever it is?" Ron asked

" A gun Ron, is like a muggle killing curse." Bill told him.

"**Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you — I'm armed!"**

**There was a pause. Then —**

**SMASH!**

" Sirius, you do not need to shout!" Remus shouted.

" But yelling is fun!"

**The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.**

**A giant of a man**

"Hagrid!" everyone in the room sighed. The book was becoming much more enjoyable.

**was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.**

**The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.**

"**Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey…"**

"Only Hagrid," James said with a shake of his head.

**He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.**

"**Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.**

"Go Hagrid!" the twins shouted.

**Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.**

"**An' here's Aura!" said the giant.**

"The only one in that room who's not insane!" James said with a grin.

**Aura looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.**

"**Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer mom, but yeh've got yer dad's eyes."**

James and Lily smiled happily at that.

**Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.**

"**I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"**

"Like that would stop Hagrid," Alice said, rolling her eyes..

"**Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant;**

The entire room filled up once more with laughter.

**he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.**

" Lily heaven he got rid of that gun." Lily said with a sigh of relief.

**Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.**

"**Anyway — Aura," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here — I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."**

**From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Aura opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with **_**Happy Birthday Aura **_**written on it in green icing.**

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Alice cooed. Aura flushed a Weasley red as every one chuckled.

" Alice you do know you're talking to a book, right love.?" Frank asked, Alice nodded and said " It's fun to talk to books." Frank just shook his head, his wife was crazy but that's why he loved her.

**Aura looked up at the giant. She meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to her mouth, and what she said instead was, "Who are you?"**

" AURORA LILY POTTER! Where are your manners young Lady?"

James looked at Lily with a raised eyebow " Aurora Lily?" he asked

Lily flushed " I like it, it fits." Aura nodded in agreement and said " And Lily is my middle name."

**The giant chuckled.**

"**True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."**

**He held out an enormous hand and shook Aura's whole arm.**

"He always does that," James said, rubbing his arm. "Doesn't know his own strength."

"**What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."**

"Hagrid!" Lily scolded. "Don't drink around children."

No one pointed out she was talking to a book.

**His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there.**

"Wasn't he expelled?" Fred asked.

**It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Aura felt the warmth wash over her as though she'd sunk into a hot bath.**

**The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat:**

" How many pockets does he have have?" Percy wondered

**a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea.**

Hagrid," Charlie shook his head in amusement.

**Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."**

"Why would Hagrid give him anything?" Ron asked. "Aura needs it more."

**The giant chuckled darkly.**

"**Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry." He passed the sausages to Aura, who was so hungry she had never tasted anything so wonderful, but she still couldn't take her eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, she said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."**

" That's better."

**The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.**

"**Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts — yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course.**.

"**Er — no," said Aura.**

" Hagrid won't like that." Fabian said with a grin.**  
**

**Hagrid looked shocked.**

"**Sorry," Aura said quickly.**

"Don't. It's not your fault." Mrs. Weasley told her.

"_**Sorry**_**?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"**

"**All what?" asked Aura.**

"**ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered.**

" Sirius!" Remus jumped. " That was right in my ear!"

"**Now wait jus' one second!"**

**He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.**

"**Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this girl — this girl! — knows nothin' abou' — about ANYTHING?"**

Aura wrinkled her nose " That makes me sound like an idiot."

**Aura thought this was going a bit far. She had been to school, after all, and her marks weren't bad.**

"**I know **_**some **_**things," she said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."**

**But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About **_**our **_**world, I mean. **_**Your **_**world. **_**My **_**world. **_**Yer parents' world**_**."**

"Which you would know nothing about," Lily said sadly.

"**What world?"**

**Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.**

"Yay! Hagrid's gonna get really mad," George said in excitement.

"**DURSLEY!" he boomed.**

**Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble."**

"Is that even a word?" Fred asked Geroge.

"No."

**Hagrid stared wildly at Aura. "But yeh must know about yer mom and dad," he said. "I mean, they're **_**famous**_**. You're **_**famous**_**."**

" WHOO!" James yelled " We're famous! even though it's for a horrible reason, We're famous!"

"**What? My — my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?"**

"**Yeh don' know… yeh don' know…" Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Aura with a bewildered stare.**

"**Yeh don' know what yeh **_**are**_**?" he said finally.**

**Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.**

"**Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the girl anything!"**

**A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.**

The marauders winced, they had only seen Hagrid angry once before and it was not a pretty sight.

"**You never told her? Never told her what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer her? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from her all these years?"**

"What was in that blasted letter?" Aura asked angrily.

"**Kept **_**what **_**from me?" said Aura eagerly.**

"**STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.**

**Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.**

"Dramatic much?" Hermione muttered.

"**Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Aura — yer a witch."**

"Oh, please do. Listen to Hagrid and boil your heads." the twins nodded their heads.

**There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.**

"**I'm a **_**what**_**?" gasped Aura.**

"Great reaction."

"Shut it Ron."

"**A witch, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good 'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."**

**Aura stretched out her hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to **_**Ms. A. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. **_**She pulled out the letter and read:**

_**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**_

_**Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**_

_**(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)**_

_**Dear Ms. Potter,**_

_**We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**_

_**Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.**_

_**Yours sincerely,**_

_**Minerva McGonagall,**_

_**Deputy Headmistress**_

" Wow that sounded almost excalty like mine." James said in surprise " But mine said Mr. Potter."

" Really, wow what a _huge_ surprise." Sirius muttered sarcastially.

**Questions exploded inside Aura's head like fireworks and she couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes she stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"**

"Out of all of the possible questions, you ask about the way they would receive your letter?" Hermione asked.

" I agree with what book me asked."

"**Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl — a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl**

"That poor owl," Mrs. Granger gasped.

— **a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Aura could read upside down:**

_**Dear Professor Dumbledore,**_

_**Given Aura her letter.**_

_**Taking her to buy her things tomorrow.**_

_**Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.**_

_**Hagrid.  
**_

**Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.**

"A what?" Mr. Wealsey asked.

"Muggle form of communication," Lily told him.

**Aura realized her mouth was open and closed it quickly.**

"**Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.**

"**She's not going," he said.**

"Yes, she is!" the marauders shouted.

"I wonder what would have happened if I didn't," Aura whispered to Ron.

"Dumbledore probably would have sent a search party out for you."

**Hagrid grunted.**

"**I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop her," he said.**

"**A what?" said Aura, interested.**

"**A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."**

"Wooo! Go Hagrid!"

"**We swore when we took her in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Witch indeed!"**

All the lights in the room wnet out again, Dumbledore must have felt very strongly against a witch or wizards magic stamp'd out.

"**You **_**knew**_**?" said Aura. "You **_**knew **_**I'm a — a witch?"**

"**Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "**_**Knew**_**! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was?**

"Lily is not dratted!" Sirius growled.

"If anyone is dratted it's you, you horse!" Remus snarled

**Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that — that **_**school **_**— and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats.**

"Your awsome Mrs. Potter!" The twins shouted.

Lily just smiled " Please call me Lily."

**But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"**

"As they should be!" Hermione said, puffing out her chest. Her parents were very proud of her being a witch.

**She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.**

"Probably had," Aura muttered.

"**Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as — as —**_**abnormal **_— **and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"**

Everyone was shocked into silence. How could someone tell their neice her parents died in such a careless way!

**Aura had gone very white. As soon as she found her voice she said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"**

"**CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Aurora Potter not knowin' her own story when every kid in our world knows her name!"**

"Sirius! Shouting is not necessary." James said, rubbing his ear. "And how'd you'd manage to yell into my ear this time? I'M not even sitting near you!"

"Talent."

"**But why? What happened?" Aura asked urgently.**

**The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.**

"**I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Aura, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh — but someone's gotta — yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."**

" Imagine if you did go to Hogwarts not knowing."

**He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.**

"**Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh — mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it…"**

**He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with — with a person called — but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows —"**

"**Who?"**

"**Well — I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."**

"**Why not?"**

"**Gulpin' gargoyles, Aura, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went… bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was…"**

**Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.**

"**Could you write it down?" Aura suggested.**

"**Nah — can't spell it. All right —**_**Voldemort**_**. "**

"You got Hagrid to say the name?" remus asked, amazed.

" I don't see what's the big deal it's just a name" Aura mumbled.

**Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this — this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too — some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Aura. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches… terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him — an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.**

"**Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before… probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.**

Hermione and Aura giggled together.

Everyone looked at them confused except Mr. and Mrs. Granger who looked amused

"Star Wars reference." Mr. Granger said, everyone still looked confused

"Muggle thing," Hermione explained.

"**Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em… maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' — an' —"**

Aura stiffened, and James wrapped an arm around his daughter and wife, and nodded to Sirius to continue. It'd be best to read that part as quickly as possible.

**Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.**

"**Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad — knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find — anywa…**

Everyone in the room smiled sadly.

"**You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then — an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing — he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh — took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even — but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Aura.**

**No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age — the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts**

Tiberius stiffened at that. Fabian looked shocked for a momment then asked Dumbledore "When?"

"August 1981, both you and Gideon. Your wife, after hearing news that you died left Tiberius in Molly's care then killed her self."( I have no clue when Molly's brothers were killed so I made it up to fit with the story.)

Fabian turned to hs son, hugged him and kept muttering he was sorry over and over again ignoring Tiberius when he tried to tell his father it was okay.

— **an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."**

**Something very painful was going on in Aura's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, she saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than she had ever remembered it before — and she remembered something else, for the first time in her life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.**

"Oh, my poor baby. I'm so sorry you have to remeber something like that." Lily hugged Aura and like Fabian ignored her child when Aura tried telling her it was all right.

**Hagrid was watching her sadly.**

"**Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot…."**

"**Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon. Aura jumped; she had forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.**

"Did he have to speak?" Bill moaned. "I hate listening to his voice."

"BILL WEASLEY! DON'T BE RUDE EVEN IF HE DESERVES IT!" Mrs. Weasley yelled

"**Now, you listen here, girl," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you,probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured**

"He better not have touched you,"All the woman in the room hissed. sounding like a bunch of angry cats.

"No, he didn't." Aura was quick to reassure them. "My aunt wouldn't let him."

**and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdoes, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion**

"NO THE WORLD ISN'T!" Remus and Sirius shouted

The twins bent over their _prank Dursley _list with Fabian, Tiberius, and Tonks joining them.

Everyone else was just as angry.

— **asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types — just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end -"**

**But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat.**

**Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley — I'm warning you — one more word…"**

**In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.**

"**That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.**

**Aura, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.**

"**But what happened to Vol-, sorry — I mean, You-Know-Who?"**

"Good, don't say the name," Ron sighed in relief.

"Voldemort." Aura muttered right in Ron's ear making him jump in fright, then he glared at the person he considered his new best friend. Aura grinned innocently.

"**Good question, Aura. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see… he was gettin' more an' more powerful — why'd he go?**

"**Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die.**

Dumbledore looked mildly interested at that.

**Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back.**

"**Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Aura. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on — **_**I **_**dunno what it was, no one does **— **but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."**

**Hagrid looked at Aura with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Aura, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake.**

"Nope. No mistake." James said, his voice thick with amusement.

**A witch? Her? How could she possibly be? She'd spent her life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if she was really a witch, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock her in her cupboard? If she'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick her around like a football?**

"Because it doesn't work like that." said chuckling a little.

"**Hagrid," she said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a witch."**

"Aurora Potter?"

"Not a witch?" the twins gasped.

"How can that be?" Tiberius joined in with the laughter.

**To her surprise, Hagrid chuckled.**

"**Not a witch, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"**

**Aura looked into the fire. Now she came to think about it… every odd thing that had ever made her aunt and uncle furious with her had happened when she, Aura, had been upset or angry… chased by Dudley's gang, she had somehow found herself out of their reach… dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, she'd managed to make it grow back… and the very last time Dudley had hit her, hadn't she got his revenge, without even realizing she was doing it? Hadn't she set a boa constrictor on him?**

"Umm, technically. You set him free." Hermione said.

"Details." Aura said with a wave of her hand. "unimportant."

"We couldn't be more proud," George said with a big grin.

**Aura looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at her.**

"**See?" said Hagrid. "Aurora Potter, not a witch — you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."**

Aura wrinkled her nose she wasn't sure she liked being famous.

**But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.**

"**Haven't I told you she's not going?" he hissed. "She's going to Stonewall High and she'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and she needs all sorts of rubbish — spell books and wands and —"**

"**If she wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop her," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's daughter goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. Her name's been down ever since she was born.**

**She's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and she won't know herself. She'll be with youngsters of her own sort, fer a change, an' she'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled—"**

"**I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HER MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.**

"You're uncle's in for it now," Fred said with a wicked grin.

"Never insult Dumbledore in front of Hagrid," George had the same grin on his face.

**But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER —" he thundered, "— INSULT — ALBUS — DUMBLEDORE — IN — FRONT — OF — ME!" He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley — there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Aura saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.**

There was a brief moment of silence. Then Dumbledore began to chuckle. It was like a wall broke after that, and everyone burst out in laughter. Tears ran down the twins' faces, Lily and Alice were grabbing their sides.

"Thanks again for doing that Hagrid." Aura told the half-giant, uncle Vernon had made the same mistake in the book insulted Dumbledore in front of Hagrid, when he had gone to get her.

"Ah, it was nothin'." Hagrid told her.

**Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.**

"Coward," Hermione said, but it wasn't as menacing as it might have been. Her voice was still light from the recent bout of laughter she'd just gone through.

**Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.**

"**Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."**

Everyone chuckled at that.**  
**

**He cast a sideways look at Aura under his bushy eyebrows.**

"**Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm — er — not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff — one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job."**

McGonagall tried to glare at Hagrid, but her heart wasn't in it so she stettled for a some what stern glare.

"**Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Aura.**

"That was rude Aurora." Lily said

"Sorry, Mum."

"**Oh, well — I was at Hogwarts meself but I — er — got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."**

"**Why were you expelled?"**

"He won't tell you." All three marauders said, shaking their heads. "Believe us, We've tried."

"**It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."**

**He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Aura.**

"**You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' doormice in one o' the pockets."**

"DONE!" Sirius yelled happily "Can we eat now?" he asked with big puppy dog eyes.

Dumbledore nodded, and and the oher mothers went to the kitchen to cook lunch.

As they were eating everyone got to know each other better, mostly it was the people from the past trying to know their children better and vice versa.

After lunch the all went back to the living room Remus picked up the book and said " I'll read,

the next chapter is called **Diagon Ally**"

* * *

If anyone is wondering when this takes place. It's after Dudley's birthday but before Aura's millions of letters are supposed to come. Goodbye or as the germans say Auf Wiedersehen.


	6. Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, so sad.

"**Diagon Alley" **Remus read.

**Aura woke early the next morning. Although she could tell it was daylight, she kept her eyes shut tight.**

_**It was a dream, **_**she told himself firmly. **_**I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for witches. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard.**_

At the mention of the cupboard, The marauders, and Lily growled.

**There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.**

_**And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door**_**, Aura thought, her heart sinking.**.

"Wow, you're really pessimistic," George said with a frown.

"Well, looks like we'll have to fix that, Forge." said Fred with a grin.

**But she still didn't open her eyes. It had been such a good dream.**

**Tap. Tap. Tap.**

"**All right," Aura mumbled, "I'm getting up."**

**She sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off her. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.**

**Aura scrambled to her feet, so happy she felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside her. She went straight to the window and jerked it open.**

**The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.**

"**Don't do that."**

**Aura tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at her and carried on savaging the coat.**

"**Hagrid!" said Aura loudly. "There's an owl —"**

"You have to pay him pup," Sirius said

"**Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.**

"She won't know how, Hagrid." Lily said with a frown.**  
**

"**What?"**

"**He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."**

**Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing **_**but **_**pockets — bunches of keys,**

**slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs,**

"Ugh. Those are gross," Alice shuddered. "Who eats those?"

"I find them very delicious, Alice." Dumbledore said with a amused smile.

"You would," she muttered under breath

**teabags… finally, Aura pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.**

"**Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.**

"**Knuts?"**

"**The little bronze ones."**

**Aura counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Aura could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.**

**Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.**

"**Best be off, Aura, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."**

**Aura was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. She had just thought of something that made her feel as though the happy balloon inside her had got a puncture.**

"**Um — Hagrid?"**

"**Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.**

"**I haven't got any money — and you heard Uncle Vernon last night… he won't pay for me to go and learn magic."**

"The daughter of James Potter, who was one of the richest wizards in the world when he died, left with nothing? Impossible" Sirius said laughing like a maniac.

"**Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"**

"**But if their house was destroyed —"**

"**They didn' keep their gold in the house, girl! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold — an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither."**

"**Wizards have **_**banks**_**?"**

"**Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."**

**Aura dropped the bit of sausage she was holding.**

"_**Goblins**_**?"**

"**Yeah — so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Aura.**

A note fell down from the ceiling everyone looked up and saw a weird portal looking thin. Aura picked up the note "It's for me!"

She read it out loud,

_Hagrid's right Aura never mess with goblins._

Everyone was confused was Aura going to get in trouble with the goblins at the bank somehow?_  
_

**Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe — 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you — gettin' things from Gringotts — knows he can trust me, see."**

"**Got everythin'? Come on, then." Aura**** followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.**

"**How did you get here?" Aura asked, looking around for another boat.**

"**Flew," said Hagrid.**

"_Flew_?" Everyone asked.

"_**Flew**_**?"**

"**Yeah — but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."**

**They settled down in the boat, Aura still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.**

"I can't," Aura admitted.

"**Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving Aura another of his sideways looks. "If I was ter — er — speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"**

"**Of course not," said Aura, eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off toward land.**

"**Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Aura asked.**

"**Spells — enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the high security vaults.**

"Anyone know if that's true?" Remus asked.

"Sorry not allowed to say," Bill said with a grin.

**And then yeh gotta find yer way — Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."**

"Really? How fascinating," Hermione said, her eyes gleaming.

**Aura sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the **_**Daily Prophet**_**. Aura had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, she'd never had so many questions in her life.**

"**Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.**

"**There's a Ministry of Magic?" Aura asked, before he could stop herself.**

"Aura," Lily said, shaking her head in amusement.

"'**Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o' course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job.**

"WHAT! how'd that git get the job?" Sirius and James asked

**Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."**

"**But what does a Ministry of Magic **_**do**_**?"**

"**Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."**

"**Why?"**

"_**Why? **_**Blimey, Aura, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."**

"Ain't that the truth," Fabian nodded his head.

**At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbor wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.**

**Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station.**

**Aura couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Aura? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?"**

"Hagrid that was careless of you." McGonagall said disapprovingly.

"**Hagrid," said Aura, panting a bit as she ran to keep up, "did you say there are **_**dragons **_**at Gringotts?"**

"**Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."**

"**You'd **_**like **_**one?"**

"**Wanted one ever since I was a kid — here we go."**

**They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to Aura so she could buy their tickets**

**People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.**

"I wonder what it's supposed to be," Aura wondered

"**Still got yer letter, Aura?" he asked as he counted stitches.**

**Aura took the parchment envelope out of her pocket.**

"**Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."**

**Aura unfolded a second piece of paper she hadn't noticed the night before, and read:**

_**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**_

_**UNIFORM**_

_**First-year students will require:**_

_**1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)**_

_**2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear**_

_**3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)**_

_**4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)**_

_**Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags**_

_**COURSE BOOKS**_

_**All students should have a copy of each of the following:**_

_**The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)by Miranda Goshawk**_

_**A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot**_

_**Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling**_

_**A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch**_

_**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore**_

_**Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger**_

_**Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander**_

_**The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble**_

"Any one notice that the names of the authors are similar to the topic they're on?" Lily asked.

"I did, but I thought it was common in the magical world," Hermione said.

_**OTHER EQUIPMENT**_

_**1 wand**_

_**1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)**_

_**1 set of glass or crystal phials**_

_**1 telescope set**_

_**1 brass scales**_

_**Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad**_

_**PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS**_

"Hate that rule," the twins, Sirius, and James muttered.

"**Can we buy all this in London?" Aura wondered aloud.**

"**If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.**

**Aura had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.**

"I think Hagrid's too big." Mrs. Granger chuckled.

"**I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.**

**Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Aura had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up?**

**If Aura hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humor, she might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told her so far was unbelievable, Aura couldn't help trusting him.**

"He does have that aura around him doesn't he?" James grinned.

"Yeah," Aura smiled.

"**This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."**

"Aura's a famous lass at a famous place," Ron chuckled. "It might just have increased in fame."

"Ron that made no sense." Fred said with a grin. "We're proud to call you our brother."

**It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Aura wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Aura had the most peculiar feeling that only she and Hagrid could see it.**

"Muggles are unable to see it unless they are with a witch or wizard, Ms. Potter" Dumledore told her.

"Oh," was all she said in response.

**Before she could mention this, Hagrid had steered her inside.**

**For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"**

"**Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Aura's shoulder and making Aura's knees buckle.**

"**Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Aura, "is this — can this be —?"**

**The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.**

"Whoa," James gasped.

"Cool." Sirius exclaimed.

"You can do the impossible!" all three marauders yelled

"**Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Aurora Potter… what an honor."**

**He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Aura and seized her hand, tears in his eyes.**

"**Welcome back, Ms. Potter, welcome back."**

**Aura didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at her. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.**

**Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Aura found herself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.**

"**Doris Crockford, Ms. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."**

"**So proud, Ms. Potter, I'm just so proud."**

"**Always wanted to shake your hand — I'm all of a flutter."**

"**Delighted, Ms. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."**

"**I've seen you before!" said Aura, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."**

"Smooth," Fred laughed.

"It hasn't happened yet." Aura said glaring

"**she remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? She remembers me!" Aura shook hands again and again — Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.**

**A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.**

"**Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Aura, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."**

"**P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Aura's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."**

"That sounds annoying," Hermione grumbled.

"**What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"**

"**D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it.**

"coward."

"**N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed**

"Defense against the dark arts is very important, of course she needs it you fool." McGonagall said

**nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.**

**But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Aura to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.**

"**Must get on — lots ter buy. Come on, Aura."**

**Doris Crockford shook Aura's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.**

**Hagrid grinned at Aura.**

"**Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'."**

"**Is he always that nervous?"**

"**Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience… They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag — never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject — now, where's me umbrella?"**

"Coward" some one coughed.

**Vampires? Hags? Aura's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.**

"**Three up… two across…" he muttered. "Right, stand back, Aura."**

**He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.**

**The brick he had touched quivered — it wriggled — in the middle, a small hole appeared — it grew wider and wider — a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.**

"**Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."**

**He grinned at Aura's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Aura looked quickly over her shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.**

**The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons — All Sizes — Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver — Self-Stirring — Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.**

"I love Diagon Ally." Lily grinned. "It was so amazing the first time I went there."

"Me too," everyone else agreed with her.

"**Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first."**

**Aura wished she had about eight more eyes.**

Ron shuddered. What was with all the spider references?

**She turned her head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce, they're mad…"**

**A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium — Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about Aura's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Aura heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand — fastest ever —"**

Get it, get it, get it, get it, get it..." James chanted until Lily smacked him over the head

**There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Aura had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon…**

"**Gringotts," said Hagrid.**

**They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was —**

"**Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Aura, which was saying something. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Aura noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:**

_**Enter, stranger, but take heed**_

_**Of what awaits the sin of greed,**_

_**For those who take, but do not earn,**_

_**Must pay most dearly in their turn.**_

_**So if you seek beneath our floors**_

_**A treasure that was never yours,**_

_**Thief, you have been warned, beware**_

_**Of finding more than treasure there.**_

Another note fell

_Remember Aura never mess with goblins_

Aura yelled in frustration and yelled " What are you people talking about?"_  
_

"**Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.**

**A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Aura made for the counter.**

"**Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Ms. Aurora Potter's safe."**

"**You have her key, sir?"**

"**Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Aura watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.**

"**Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.**

"Why does Hagrid have my key?" James asked**.  
**

**The goblin looked at it closely.**

"**That seems to be in order."**

"**An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."**

"I wonder what's in there?' Aura wondered**  
**

**The goblin read the letter carefully.**

"**Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"**

**Griphook was yet another goblin.**

"No! Really?" Fred gasped.

"Shut up" Aura muttered.

**Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Aura followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.**

"**What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Aura asked.**

"No need to repeat yourself Aura," Tiberius teased.**  
**

"**Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."**

**Griphook held the door open for them. Aura, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in — Hagrid with some difficulty — and were off.**

"I hate those carts," Hagrid muttered.

James and Sirius gaped at him "But the carts are fun!"

**At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Aura tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible.**

"That's better than I could remember," James said with a small grin. "I get lost after the second right."

**The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.**

**Aura's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but she kept them wide open. Once, she thought she saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late**

"Was it?" Remus asked

"Can't tell." Bill said and grinned.

— **they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.**

"**I never know," Aura called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"**

"Well a stalagmite—" Hermione began but Sirius cut her off.

"She can find out later but story now." Hermione glared at Sirius but didn't say anything.

"**Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."**

**He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.**

**Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Aura gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.**

"Hmm that's the trust vault, you'll probably get the key to the family ault when you're seventeen." James said and Aura gaped at him, she had _two vaults!_**  
**

"**All yours," smiled Hagrid.**

**All Aura's — it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from her faster than blinking.**

"Like the goblins would let that happen," Lily rolled her eyes.

**How often had they complained how much Aura cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to her, buried deep under London. Hagrid helped Aura pile some of it into a bag.**

"**The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"**

"Just one speed," Bill said with a grin.

"Good," Aura said with a smile. "The carts sound fun."

"She's insane," Fred decreed. "I knew there was a reason I liked her."

"**One speed only," said Griphook.**

**They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Aura leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled her back by the scruff of her neck.**

"Aurora Potter!" Lily yelled

"Sorry mum," Aura said looking down, Lily softened at the word mum.

"It's all right just please don't really do that, Okay?"

**Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.**

"**Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.**

"**If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.**

"**How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Aura asked.**

"**About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.**

**Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Aura was sure, and she leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least **— **but at first she thought it was empty. Then she noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor.**

"I wonder what it is?" Ron asked.

"Oh, it's nothing really." Dumbledore said smiling and eyes doing that annoying twinkling.

**Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Aura longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.**

"**Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.**

**One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Aura didn't know where to run first now that she had a bag full of money. She didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that she was holding more money than she'd had in her whole life — more money than even Dudley had ever had.**

"That must be a good thought." Tonks said and Aura nodded.**  
**

"**Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Aura, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Aura entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.**

"Wait, he left you on your own?" Mrs. Weasley shreiked.

**Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.**

"**Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Aura started to speak. "Got the lot here — a young man being fitted up just now, in fact."**

"Oh, I hope you make a friend." Lily said excited.

**In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face (Kinda cute Aura thought)was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.**

Sirius made a face "That sounds like a Malfoy," he turned to Aura "Stay far away from him."**  
**

"**Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"**

"**Yes," said Aura.**

"**My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy.**

**He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."**

"Yup a Malfoy."

**Aura was strongly reminded of Dudley.**

"**Have **_**you **_**got your own broom?" the boy went on.**

"**No," said Aura.**

"**Play Quidditch at all?"**

"**No," Aura said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.**

James and Charlie gasped and Remus and Sirius laughed

"How could my own daughter not know what Quidditch is! It's a tragedy!" James started to sob dramatically and didn't stop until McGonagall glared and Lily hit him in the head

Sirius laughed a little more and told Aura he'd tell what Qudditch is later.

"_**I **_**do — Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"**

"No one does," Mr. Weasley said.

"**No," said Aura, feeling more stupid by the minute.**

"**Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been — imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"**

Sirius shook his head in disgust.

"**Mmm," said Aura, wishing she could say something a bit more interesting.**

"**I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Aura and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.**

"**That's Hagrid," said Aura, pleased to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."**

"**Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"**

"Git."

"**He's the gamekeeper," said Aura with a frown. She was liking the boy less and less every second.**

"Good," the marauders nodded. "Make friends with cooler people."

"**Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of **_**savage **_— **lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."**

"**I think he's brilliant," said Aura coldly.**

"_**Do **_**you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"**

"Why do you need to know?" Alice glared at the book.

"**They're dead," said Aura shortly. She didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.**

"**Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all.**

"**But they were **_**our **_**kind, weren't they?"**

"Well, yes." Aura said. "They were human. At least I think so."

Everyone laughed at Aura's joke.

"You should really tell him that." Hermione said once she caught her breath.

"**They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."**

"**I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"**

**But before Aura could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Aura, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.**

"**Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.**

"Do we have to?" Ron asked.

**Aura was rather quiet as she ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought her (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).**

"**What's up?" said Hagrid.**

"**Nothing," Aura lied.**

"Work on that skill," Fred told Aura. "You'll never know when you'll need it."

Lily frowned "No teaching her how to lie, and it's not nice to Aura you should tell him what's wrong."

**They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Aura cheered up a bit when she found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote. When they had left the shop, she said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"**

Everyone ignored James and Charlies gasps of shock.**  
**

"**Blimey, Aura, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know — not knowin' about Quidditch!"**

James shuddered

"**Don't make me feel worse," said Aura. She told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.**

"— **and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in —"**

"**Yer not **_**from **_**a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh **_**were **_— **he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles — look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"**

"That's a good point." Alice said**  
**

"**So what **_**is **_**Quidditch?"**

"**It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like — like soccer in the Muggle world — everyone follows Quidditch — played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls — sorta hard ter explain the rules."**

"No it's not," James said.

"Prongs, mate. You're talking to a book." Sirius told him.

"**And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"**

"**School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but —"**

"OI!" Tonks shouted. "There's nothing wrong with Hufflepuff!"

"**I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Aura gloomily.**

"There's nothing wrong with Hufflepuff." Tonks muttered **  
**

"**Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."**

"**Vol-, sorry —You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"**

"**Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.**

**They bought Aura's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Aura away from **_**Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) **_**by Professor Vindictus Viridian.**

"**I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."**

"That's my girl" James said with a laugh " A prankster in the making."

"**I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."**

**Hagrid wouldn't let Aura buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Aura, Aura herself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).**

**Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Aura's list again.**

"**Just yer wand left — A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."**

Aura went red.

**Aura felt herself go red.**

"**You don't have to —"**

"**I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at**

Neville winced, his uncle had gotten him a toad

**an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."**

**Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Aura now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. She couldn't stop stammering her thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.**

"She sounds beautiful." Aura whispered**  
**

"**Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now — only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."**

**A magic wand… this was what Aura had been really looking forward to.**

"Everyone does." Lily said

**The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.**

"Is that true?" Hermione asked

**A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Aura felt strangely as though she had entered a very strict library; she swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to her and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of her neck prickled.**

"You could feel that?" Dumbledore asked.

"Ummm? Yeah?"

Everyone stared at Aura in amazement. She would be a powerful witch. Aura started to fidget.

"Stop staring, please. It's starting to creep me out."

**The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.**

"**Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Aura jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.**

**An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.**

"**Hello," said Aura shyly.**

"**Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Aurora Potter." It wasn't a question. "You look just like your mother. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."**

"He remembers?" Lily gasped.

**Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Aura. Aura wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.**

Sirius nodded in agreement. Those eyes were majorly creepy.

"**Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it — it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."**

"How does he remember that?" Aura asked.

**Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Aura were almost nose to nose. Aura could see herself reflected in those misty eyes.**

"**And that's where…"**

**Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Aura's forehead with a long, white finger.**

"And that's not awkward at all," Aura muttered.

"**I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands… well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do…"**

**He shook his head and then, to Aura's relief, spotted Hagrid.**

"**Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again… Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"**

"**It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.**

"**Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.**

"**Er — yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.**

"**But you don't **_**use **_**them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply.**

"Sure you don't Hagrid." the twins chuckled.

"**Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Aura noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.**

"Wow, that wasn't obvious at all," Sirius drawled.

"**Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now — Ms. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"**

"**Er — well, I'm left-handed," said Aura.**

"**Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Aura from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."**

"Really?" Hermione asked. Dumbledore nodded

**Aura suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between her nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.**

"**That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Ms. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."**

**Aura took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of her hand almost at once.**

"**Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try —"**

**Aura tried — but she had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.**

"**No, no — here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."**

"Merlin, how many wands do you have to try?" Remus asked the young girl.

Aura shrugged

**Aura tried. And tried. She had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.**

"**Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now — yes, why not — unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."**

**Aura took the wand. She felt a sudden warmth in her fingers.**

Lily and James cheered, their daughter had a wand!

**She raised the wand above her head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.**

**Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well… how curious… how very curious…"**

"What's curious?" Hermione asked.

**He put Aura's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious… curious…"**

"**Sorry," said Aura, "but what's curious?"**

**Mr. Ollivander fixed Aura with his pale stare.**

"**I remember every wand I've ever sold, Ms. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave you that scar."**

Everyone sucked in a shocked breath but didn't say anything.

"**Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember… I think we must expect great things from you, Ms. Potter… After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great."  
**

"Wait, did he just praise You-Know-Who?" James asked.

**Aura shivered. She wasn't sure she liked Mr. Ollivander too much. She paid seven gold Galleons for her wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.**

**The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Aura and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Aura didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; she didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Aura's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Aura only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped her on the shoulder.**

"**Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.**

**He bought Aura a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Aura kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.**

"**You all right, Aura? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.**

**Aura wasn't sure she could explain. She'd just had the best birthday of her life — and yet — she chewed her hamburger, trying to find the words.**

"**Everyone thinks I'm special," she said at last.**

"Yes, you are," Lily said firmly.

Most of the room nodded in agreement.

"**All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander… but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry — I mean, the night my parents died."**

Ron frowned. When it was put like that, he could see why Aura hated her fame. He would too.

**Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.**

"**Don' you worry, Aura. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts — I did — still do, 'smatter of fact."**

"Best place there is," the marauders, Fabian and the twins sighed.

**Hagrid helped Aura on to the train that would take her back to the Dursleys, then handed her an envelope.**

"**Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September — King's Cross — it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me…. See yeh soon, Aura."**

"Wait," Lily frowned. "He didn't tell you how to get on the platform."

**The train pulled out of the station. Aura wanted to watch Hagrid until she was out of sight; she rose in her seat and pressed her nose against the window, but she blinked and Hagrid had gone.**

"That's the end of the chapter," remus said. "Who's next?"

"I am," Tonks said. "The next chapter is 'The Journey from Platform Nine and Three Quarters."

"So, Hogwarts!" Ron grinned ear to ear.


	7. The Journey From Platform Nine and Three

DC: Unless J.K. is a teenage american-german girl living in Germany, I own nothing.

"**The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters," **read Tonks

Everyone cheered.

**Aura's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun.**

"Not really a surprise."

**True, Dudley was now so scared of Aura he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Aura in her cupboard, force her to do anything, or shout at her — in fact, they didn't speak to her at all.**

Lily winced "Tuney used to do that to me It got kind of depressing after a while,"

**Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Aura in it were empty.**

"That does sound kind of depressing."**  
**

**Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.**

**Aura kept to her room, with her new owl for company. She had decided to call her Hedwig, a name she had found in **_**A History of Magic**_**. Her school books were very interesting.**

"You read your books!" Sirius and James exclaimed.

Lily grinned "So she's more like me when it comes to studying, good."

**She lay on her bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before she went to sleep, Aura ticked off another day on the piece of paper she had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.**

Snape looked a little shocked he had something in common with potter's brat, he used to do the same thing every summer.

**On the last day of August she thought she'd better speak to her aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so she went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. She cleared her throat to let them know she was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.**

The room laughed.

"**Er — Uncle Vernon?"**

**Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.**

"Pig."

"**Er — I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to — to go to Hogwarts."**

**Uncle Vernon grunted again.**

"Git."

"**Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?"**

**Grunt. Aura supposed that meant yes.**

"Hmm, Kitten does your uncle know he speaks troll?" Sirius asked Aura, Aura giggled but shook her head and said "Don't call me Kitten."

Sirius grinned and told her "Sorry Kitten, but no. It stays." Aura pouted.

"**Thank you."**

**She was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.**

"**Funny way to get to a witches' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"**

"No, they're just illegal," Mr. Weasley frowned.

**Aura didn't say anything.**

"**Where is this school, anyway?"**

"**I don't know," said Aura, realizing this for the first time. She pulled the ticket Hagrid had given her out of her pocket.**

"It's in Scotland," Remus told Aura.

"Really?" Aura and Hermione asked. Remus nodded.

"**I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," she read.**

"And watch as the whale becomes confused." Tiberius said.

**Her aunt and uncle stared.**

"**Platform what?"**

"Nine and three quarters," Ron said as if speaking to someone who was mentally handicapped.

"Wait I just thought of something, Hagrid never told Aura how to get on the platform." Lily said suddenly very worried.

"Don't worry I'm sure she gets on the platform okay." Alice said trying to comfort her best friend and sister in everything but blood, it worked... a little bit.

"**Nine and three-quarters."**

"**Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."**

"Yes there is," Bill said with a smirk.

"Your aunt would know this," Charlie frowned. "She had a witch for a sister."

Lily frowned and nodded "Petunia had to come on the platform every year with mum and dad to say goodbye, she knows how to get on alright."

"**It's on my ticket."**

"**Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."**

"Why are they going to London?" Ron and Neville asked.

"**Why are you going to London?" Aura asked, trying to keep things friendly.**

"Cool! We think like Aura!" Both boys yelled

"Why is that a good thing?" Fred whispered to George and Tiberius.

"Maybe cause shes the Girl-Who-Lived." Tiberius whispered back sarcastically

"**Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."**

"No, leave it on," James said. "It fits his personality. "

**Aura woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep.**

**She got up and pulled on her favorite skirt-a skirt Aunt Petunia had actually bought her at a second hand shop and it actually fits her!- because she didn't want to walk into the station in her witches's robes —**

Sirius nodded "Smart."

**she'd change on the train. She checked her Hogwarts list yet again to make sure she had everything she needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up.**

**Two hours later, Aura's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Aura, and they had set off.**

"Why didn't one of them stay at home?" Percy asked. "Then he could have sat up front."

"They're idiots," Aura said. "Nuff said."

**They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Aura's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for her.**

"That was nice," Lily said suspiciously.

Sirius's eyes narrowed he had a good idea about what the Dursleys were going to do. Bastards he thought.

**Aura thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.**

"**Well, there you are, girl. Platform nine — platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"**

**He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.**

"**Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Aura turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing.**

"Damn Bastards!" James shouted

Sirius growled, Remus actually snarled but thankfully noticed

The twins, Fabian, and Tiberius wrote so many pranks meant for the Dursleys they had to start another list.

Everyone's reactions were pretty angry except Aura's who was trying hard not to cry it just figures they'd do some thing like that, Hermione and Ron noticed her wet eyes and started to comfort her they were really starting to like Aura and didn't want her hurt.

**A lump formed in Aura's throat and she felt her eyes stinging, it figures they'd do something like leaving her at the platform all alone with no way to get home. What on earth was she going to do? She was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. She'd have to ask someone. She stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters.**

**The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Aura couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in,**

"Scotland."

** he started to get annoyed, as though Aura was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Aura asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one.**

**In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Aura was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, she had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and she had no idea how to do it; she was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk she couldn't lift by herself, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl. Aura started to shake.  
**

**Hagrid must have forgotten to tell her something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. She wondered if she should get out her wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.**

"No!" Everyone yelled.

**At that moment a group of people passed just behind her and she caught a few words of what they were saying.**

"— **packed with Muggles, of course —"**

**Aura swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to five boys, all with flaming red hair.**

"Hey, mum's not plump," Ron glared at Aura.

"Sorry Mrs. Wealsey." Aura said.

"It's alright dear." Mrs. Weasley said with a smile.

**Each of them was pushing a trunk like Aura's in front of him — and they had an **_**owl**_**.**

"Ooh, an owl," James chuckled.

"Follow them Harry," Lily smiled.

"It's a book I can't do anything." Aura her mum

**Heart hammering, Aura pushed her cart after them. They stopped and so did she, just near enough to hear what they were saying.**

"**Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.**

"**Nine and three-quarters!" piped a tall boy, also red-headed,he looked maybe twelve or thirteen, "Aunt Molly could you please stop asking that every year?"  
**

"Tiberius!" the Weasley boys and Fabian cheered

"**I'm just making sure your paying attention Tiberius, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."**

**What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten.**

**Aura watched, careful not to blink in case she missed it — but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of herand by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.**

"**Fred, you next," the plump woman said.**

"**I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you **_**tell **_**I'm George?"**

"**Sorry, George, dear."**

"**Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone — but how had he done it? Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there — and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere. The fourth boy walked calmly after them then he too was gone how are they doing it? Aura walked foward quickly before the last boy and his mother were gone too.  
**

**There was nothing else for it.**

"**Excuse me," Aura said to the plump woman.**

"**Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."**

**She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.**

"Oh, thanks," Ron huffed.

"Anytime," Aura said with a smirk.

"**Yes," said Aura. "The thing is — the thing is, I don't know how to —"**

"**How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Aura nodded.**

"**Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."**

"**Er — okay," said Aura.**

"Aww you are so sweet dearie." Mrs. Weasley said causing Aura to blush.

**She pushed her trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.**

**She started to walk toward it. People jostled her on their way to platforms nine and ten. Aura walked more quickly. She was going to smash right into that barrier and then she'd be in trouble — leaning forward on her cart, she broke into a heavy run — the barrier was coming nearer and nearer — she wouldn't be able to stop — the cart was out of control — she was a foot away — she closed her eyes ready for the crash and held back a scream — It didn't come… she kept on running… she opened her eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said **_**Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock**_**. Aura looked behind her and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words **_**Platform Nine and Three-Quarters **_**on it, She had done it.**

**Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.**

"I love the platform," Lily grinned.

Aura and Hermione smiled "It sounds wonderful." Hermione said

**The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Aura pushed her cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."**

"**Oh, **_**Neville**_**," he heard the old woman sigh.**

Neville looked up "Thats me!"

Frank and Alice smiled glad that their son was mentioned, they couldn't wait for him to be mentioned again.

**A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.**

"Lee!" smiled Fred and George, their best friend was in the book too.

"**Give us a look, Lee, go on."**

**The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.**

"Cool he got the spider" One of the twins said with a grin.

Ron shuddered, he _hates_ spiders.

**Aura pressed on through the crowd until she found an empty compartment near the end of the train. She put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave her trunk toward the train door. She tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice she dropped it painfully on her foot.**

"Oh, are you okay sweetie?" Lily asked

Aura blushed "It hasn't happened, mum."

"**Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.**

"Thanks." Aura grinned at the twins.

"No problem Aura." They grinned back.

"Huh, so they can be nice." Tiberius muttered under his breath.

"**Yes, please," Aura panted.**

"**Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"**

**With the twins' help, Aura's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.**

"**Thanks," Aura said, pushing her sweaty bangs out of her eyes.**

"**What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Aura's lightning scar.**

"**Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you —?"**

"**She is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Aura.**

"**What?" said Aura.**

"_**Aurora Potter**_**." chorused the twins.**

"**Oh, her," said Aura.**

Everyone looked at Harry in disbelief. Then James and Sirius began to chuckle and slowly a dam of laughter burst open.

"I'm glad you're all amused," Aura glowered.

"**I mean, yes, I am."**

**The two boys gawked at her, and Aura felt herself turning red. Then, to her relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.**

"I have the feeling their the first of students to gape at my scar." Aura mumbled unhappily

"**Fred? George? Are you there?"**

"**Coming, Mum."**

**With a last look at Aura, the twins hopped off the train.**

**Aura sat down next to the window where, half hidden, she could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying.**

"Aura, eavesdropping is bad," Lily scolded.

James nodded "We couldn't be more proud," he finished with a large grin. Lily glared at him and said " No we're not James."

**Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.**

"**Ron, you've got something on your nose."**

**The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.**

"Well, that's one way of embarrassing your child right at the start of school," Remus sighed, his mom had done the same thing before his first year.

"_**Mom**_— **geroff" He wriggled free.**

"**Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins.**

"Nice one, Gred," Fred smiled.

"I know, it was good." George smiled.

"**Shut up," said Ron.**

"**Where's Percy?" said their mother.**

"**He's coming now."**

**The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a red and gold badge on his chest with the letter **_**P **_**on it.**

Sirius and James shook their heads in disgust Sirius muttered "Prefect." he said it like a curse, All former prefects glared but the two marauders ignored them.

"**Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves —"**

"**Oh, are you a **_**prefect**_**, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."**

"**Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once —"**

"**Or twice —"**

"**A minute —"**

"**All summer —" **

"Nice one!" The marauders laughed.

"**Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.**

"**How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.**

"**Because he's a **_**prefect**_**," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term — send me an owl when you get there."**

**She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.**

"**Now, you two — this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've — you've blown up a toilet or —"**

McGonagll shook her head "You just gave them a idea, never give pranksters ideas Molly never."

"**Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."**

"But they will," Sirus grinned, "I bet five galloens that they send someone a toilet seat."

James snorted "_I _bet they don't send someone a toilet seat, it's crazy Molly would kill them."

"**Great idea though, thanks, Mom."**

"**It's **_**not funny**_**. And look after Ron."**

"**Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."**

"**Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.**

"Oh, come on" Ron groaned.

"**Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"**

**Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.**

"**You know that red-haired girl who was near us in the station? Know who she is?"**

"**Who?"**

"_**Aurora Potter**_**!"**

**Aura heard the boy who had called the plump woman aunt.  
**

"**Oh, Aunt Molly, can I go on the train and see her, Aunt Molly, eh please…"**

The twins laughed and sang "Tiberius got a crush, Tiberius got a crush..."

Remus and Fabian chuckled a little but James and Sirius glared and pulled out their wands and fingered them almost lovingly.

"**You've already seen her, Tiberius, and the poor girl isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is she really, Fred? How do you know?"**

"Aw, that was nice of your mum," Alice said.

"**Asked her. Saw her scar. It's really there — like lightning."**

"**Poor **_**dear **_— **no wonder she was alone, I wondered. She was ever so polite when she asked how to get onto the platform."**

"**Never mind that, do you think she remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"**

The twins held up their hands "Hasn't happened yet."

**Their mother suddenly became very stern.**

"**I forbid you to ask her, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though she needs reminding of that on her first day at school."**

"Already reminded."

"**All right, keep your hair on."**

**A whistle sounded.**

"**Hurry up!" their mother said, and the four boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye.**

**The train began to move. Aura saw the boys' mother waving until she disappered.  
**

**Aura watched the boy's mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Aura felt a great leap of excitement. She didn't know what she was going to — but it had to be better than what she was leaving behind.**

**The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.**

"**Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Aura. "Everywhere else is full."**

"Sure everywhere else was full." Charlie rolled his eyes.

**Aura shook her head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Aura and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Aura saw he still had a black mark on his nose.**

"Darn that mark," Ron muttered.

"You were told like three times," Aura giggled.

"**Hey, Ron."**

**The twins were back.**

"Yay!"

"**Listen, we're going down the middle of the train — Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."**

Ron shuddered at the mention of that tarantula.

Fred glanced at his little brother a little guilty.

"**Right," mumbled Ron.**

"**Aura," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley.**

"Whoo!" the twins cheered at their introduction.

**And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."**

"**Bye," said Aura and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.**

"**Are you really Aurora Potter?" Ron blurted out.**

**Aura nodded and said "Yeah but I prefer to be called Aura. Aurora is to long for me."  
**

"**Oh okay — well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got — you know…"**

**He pointed at Aura's forehead.**

**Aura pulled back her bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.**

"**So that's where You-Know-Who —?"**

"RONALD WEASLEY! WHERE ARE YOUR MANNERS? I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU BOYS NOT TO ASK HER ABOUT THAT!"

Ron cowered under his mother's glare and said "Sorry Aura,"

Tiberius looked at his aunt for a momment then told her-while risking his life "Actually aunt Molly you only told the twins not to, you said nothing about Ron not asking her."

All the Weasley boys- Mr. Weasley and Fabian too- were looking at Tiberius in shock and awe, none of them would have been brave enough to do that.

Mrs. Weasley said nothing just looked at Tonks until she continued to read.

"**Yes," said Aura, "but I can't remember it."**

"**Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.**

"Boys" Alice muttered under her breath, Dumbledore heard and chukled a bit.

"**Well — I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."**

"**Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Aura for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.**

"**Are all your family wizards?" asked Aura, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found her.**

"Why would you find _me _interesting?" a very shocked Ron asked.

"You seem very interesting," Aura told him, Hermione nodded in agreement "A little rude but interesting."

Ron was very shocked.

"**Er — Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."**

"Why?" Lily asked. "That seems very rude."

"He's like your sister," Bill told her. "Trust me, you're glad you never have to meet him."

"**So you must know loads of magic already."**

**The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.**

The twins made a face that could have rivaled Snape's.

Mr. Weasley chuckled "Aura we are very different form the old wizarding families, we're blood traitors."

"Oh," Aura said not really getting it.

"**I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"**

"**Horrible — well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."**

"**Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy.**

Bill frowned he didn't like the sound of that.

"**I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts.**

**You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left — Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch**

**Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first.**

The twins looked over at their little brother, who was currently looking down at his trainers. How could they have gone so long and not realized how Ron felt?

Bill, Charlie, and Percy all frowned they really didn't like the sound of that.

All the Wealsey boys shared a look they were going to have to talk to Ron after this chapter.

**You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."**

**Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.**

"Scabbers!" The twins and Ron cheered.

"**His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up.**

"A lazy pet for a lazy kid," Fred teased.

"OI!"

**Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff — I mean, I got Scabbers instead."**

**Ron's ears went pink.**

**He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.**

**Aura didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, she'd never had any money in her life until a month ago, and she told Ron so, all about having to wear aunt Petunia's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.**

"Such a sweet girl," Lily said

"… **and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a witch or about my parents or Voldemort —"**

**Ron gasped.**

"**What?" said Aura.**

"_**You said You-Know-Who's name!**_" **said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people —"**

"It's just a name," Aura frowned, it seemed a little stupid to be afraid of a name.

Dumbledore said "Fear of a name, increases fear of the thing itself." (or whatever it is I can never remember.)

"**I'm not trying to be **_**brave **_**or anything, saying the name," said Aura, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn… I bet," she added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying her a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."**

"Don't worry dear, there are other kids from muggle families like me and we all learn quick enough." Lily told her daughter

"**You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."**

"Huh Lily and Ron think alike, poor Lily." Sirius said grinning.**  
**

**While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.**

**Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"**

"Snacks!" Ron and Aura exclaimed

"Pigs." Hermione said with a small smile

**Aura, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to her feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Aura went out into the corridor.**

**She had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that she had pockets rattling with gold and silver she was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as she could carry**

"What?" the purebloods asked

"It's a muggle candy." said Hermione

— **but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum,**

Alice said "My favorite."

** Chocolate Frogs.**

"The best." Ron and Remus said

*coughChocolatefreakscough* James and Sirius coughed

** Pumpkin Pasties,**

"I personal favorite." Lily said

** Cauldron Cakes,**

Sirius "MINE!"

** Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Aura had never seen in her life. Not wanting to miss anything, she got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.**

"Whoa, that's a lot of candy," Remus moaned

Mrs. Weasley frowned "Your going to eat yourself sick."

Lily said "You better share with Ron."

**Ron stared as Aura brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.**

"**Hungry, are you?"**

"**Starving,"**

**said Aura, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.**

**Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef…"**

"But I thought you like corned beef, dear"

"No mum _I _like corned beef, Ron likes roast beef." Charlie told her.**  
**

"**Mmm corned beef, swap you for one of these," said Aura, holding up a pasty. "Go on —"**

"**You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."**

"**Go on, have a pasty," said Aura, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Aura's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).**

"And now their friends for life." Tonks said with a smile

Aura and Ron looked at each other for a momment then they said at the same time "Best friends." and nodded

"**What are these?" Aura asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs.**

"Food," Ron and Sirius moaned.

"You just ate," Hermione said in shock.

"They're boys," Alice said. "They're the human equivalent of bottomless pits."

"**They're not **_**really **_**frogs, are they?" She was starting to feel that nothing would surprise her.**

"**No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."**

"I'm missing Ptolemy too." Ron muttered.

"**What?"**

"**Oh, of course, you wouldn't know — Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect — famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."**

"No need to repeat yourself Ronnie." Fred Grinned**  
**

**Aura unwrapped her Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.**

"Dumbledore!" The Weasley boys, Tonks, Neville, marauders and fabian cheered

Dumbldore smiled at them, his eyes twinkling.

"**So **_**this **_**is Dumbledore!" said Aura.**

"**Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa — thanks —"**

"I lived with muggles Ron," Aura giggled. "Of course I didn't know who Dumbledore was."

**Aura turned over her card and read:**

_**ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**_

_**CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS**_

_**Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.**_

"I do enjoy tenpin bowling very much." Dumbldore said

McGonagall just shook her head, she and everyone else would never understand Dumbledore

**Aura turned the card back over and saw, to her astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.**

"**He's gone!"**

"Well, can't expect him to hang around all day," Ron said with a chuckle.

"**Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron.**

"Agian no need to repeat yourself Ronniekins." Fred said

Ron's ears turned red at that, he hated that nickname.

"**He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her… do you want it? You can start collecting."**

**Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped. "Help yourself," said Aura. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."**

"Weird." the pure-bloods in the room muttered

"**Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "**_**Weird!"**_

**Aura stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on her card and gave her a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Aura couldn't keep her eyes off them. Soon she had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. She finally tore her eyes away from the Druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.**

"Be careful kitten, when they say every flavor they _mean _every flavor." Sirius warned her.

"**You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Aura. "When they say every flavor, they **_**mean **_**every flavor — you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavored one once."**

"I did," George insisted.

**Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.**

"**Bleaaargh — see? Sprouts."**

**Every Flavor Beans. Aura got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.**

"She's going to be Gryffindor." James said grinning.

**The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.**

**There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Aura had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.**

"**Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"**

**When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"**

"Aw, don't worry Neville sweetie he'll turn up." Alice cooed

"**He'll turn up," said Aura.**

"Sweet girl,"

"**Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him…"**

**He left.**

"**Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."**

**The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.**

"**He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…"**

**He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.**

"**Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway —"**

"You should get a new one," James said with a frown. "That one's not going to work too well."

Ron muttered something about not having the money.

**He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.**

Mr and Mrs. Granger looked up, maybe it was Hermione?

Hermione too looked up maybe she was finally in the story.

"**Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.**

Mr. and Mrs. Granger nodded it sounded like their daughter

George snickered "Great description, Aura."

Hermione blushed and Aura muttered a sorry.

"**We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.**

"**Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."**

**She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.**

chuckled

"Wow foward much Hermione?" Tiberius asked

Hermione blushed again.

"**Er — all right."**

**He cleared his throat.**

"**Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."**

Fred and George burst out laughing. "You really belived that Ron?" George asked

Ron's ears turned red in response.

Mrs. Weasley glared at the twins "no more pranks or jokes on your little brother."

The twins gluped "Yes ma'am."

**He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.**

"**Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it?**

"Hermione," Lily said with a small frown. "Don't you think that was a little mean?"

"I think book me is just trying to make friends," Hermione said, looking down at her shoes. "I don't really know how too, like Aura I've never had friends before."

**I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard — I've learned all our course books by heart,**

**of course, I just hope it will be enough — I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"**

**She said all this very fast.**

laughed "Take a breath dear,"

**Aura looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.**

"I don't think anyone will," Ron said. "Except Hermione."

Sirius whispered to James and Remus "Just like the leprechaun."

"**I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.**

"**Aurora Potter," said Aura.**

"**Are you really?" said Hermione.**

"**I know all about you, of course — I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in **_**Modern Magical History **_**and **_**The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts **_**and **_**Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century**_**."**

"Is she really in all those books?" Lily asked.

"One or two more." McGonagall told her old student.

"Wow." Everyone from the past said shocked

"**Am I?" said Aura, feeling dazed.**

"**Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best;**

"You have taste, but you'll be ravenclaw no doubt about it." Remus told her.

**I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon.**

**And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.**

"**Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.**

"RONALD WEASLEY! APOLOGIZE TO HER RIGHT NOW!"

"Sorry Hermione," Ron mumbled

"It's okay, it's not the worst thing anyone ever said about me."

**He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell — George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud." Aura frowned, Ron shouldn't have said that mean thing about Hermione but didn't say anything she just got Ron as a friend she didn't want to lose him.  
**

"**What house are your brothers in?" asked Aura.**

"**Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw **_**would **_**be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."**

"No way your a Wealsey, you'd never be in Slytherin."

"**That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"**

"**Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.**

"**You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Aura, trying to take Ron's mind off houses.**

"You are a good friend," James said with a smile

"**So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"**

**Aura was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.**

"**Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron.**

"COOL!" James and Sirius shouted

"What exactly do you do?" asked Bill

"I'm a curse breaker, we go into places like the tombs in Egypt and break the curses on the tombs, It's a dangerous job but I like it."

"**Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the **_**Daily Prophet**_**, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles — someone tried to rob a high security vault."**

"What!" Everyone except Dumbledore yelled.

**Aura stared.**

"**Really? What happened to them?"**

"**Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught.**

"What in Merlin's name?" Charlie gasped.

"Who could have done that?" Remus asked.

**My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts,**

**but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."**

**Aura turned this news over in her mind. She was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. She supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.**

"Good," Dumbledore said "Don't fear saying his name'

"**What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.**

"**Er — I don't know any." Aura confessed.**

James gasped then dramatically pretended to have a heart attack until Sirius smacked him over the head

"Oh, shut up you git."

"**What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world —" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Aura through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.**

**Three boys entered, and Aura recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop.**

Sirius growled "Tell him to get out."

**He was looking at Aura with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.**

"Of course," everyone rolled their eyes.

"**Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Aurora Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"**

"**Yes," said Aura. She was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.**

"If their last names are Crabbe and Goyle then they are." Sirius told her.

"**Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Aura was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."**

Sirius growled again.

**Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.**

"**Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."**

"OI!" Everyone glared at the book.

**He turned back to Aura. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."**

"Yeah help you make _bad _friends"

**He held out his hand to shake Aura's, but Aura didn't take it.**

"Good," the twins and Sirius said with a smile.

"**I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," she said coolly.**

**Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.**

"**I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents.**

"The nerve of that little…" Lily glared.

"I think we've found a new prank subject, right Gred?"

"You bet Forge."

**They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."**

**Both Aura and Ron stood up.**

"Go Ron!" the twins cheered as their youngest brother turned bright red.

"No! Don't fight!" the women yelled

"**Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.**

"**Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.**

"Probably," Hermione sighed. "But you're asking for it."

"**Unless you get out now," said Aura, more bravely than she felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than her or Ron. She like an ant compared to those guys.  
**

"**But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."**

**Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron — Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.**

**Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle**

"Go Scabbers!" everyone cheered.

— **Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.**

"Not the time Hermione," Fred chuckled.

"**What **_**has **_**been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.**

"**I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Aura. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep."**

"Go Scabbers!" the twins cheered.

**And so he had.**

"**You've met Malfoy before?"**

**Aura explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.**

"**I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"**

"They didn't need one."**  
**

"**You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"**

"**Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"**

"**All right — I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice.**

"Sniffy?" Hermione glared at Aura.

"Umm? No?" Aura said, with a small grin.

"**And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"**

**Ron glared at her as she left. Aura peered out of the window. It was getting dark. She could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.**

**She and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.**

**A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."**

**Aura's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, she saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.**

**The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Aura shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Aura heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Aura?"**

"Hagrid!"

**Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.**

"**C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"**

**Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Aura thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.**

"**Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."**

**There was a loud "Oooooh!"**

**The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.**

"I loved that scene when I was a first year," Lily sighed.

Most people agreed.

I want to see it" All the first years said together.

"**No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Aura and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.**

"**Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"**

**And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.**

"**Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.**

"**Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.**

"Is the toad somehow important to the story?" Sirius asked annoyed that the toad kept coming up.**  
**

"**Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.**

**They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.**

"**Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"**

**Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.**

"Alright," Tonks said "Who's next?"**  
**

"I will" McGonagall said'

" Okay the next chapter is called **The Sorting Hat." **


	8. The sorting hat

Okay so someone asked if this story will be Tiberius/Aurora pairing, yes it will be since Tiberius is replacing Ginny in this story(Sorry Ginny!) and someone else asked why Tiberius begged Mrs. Weasley if he could go on the train even though he is going to Hogwarts too. Tiberius' first reaction was to really run on the train to see her but Mrs. Weasley would have gotten mad at him and stuff and Tiberius was smart enough to know that, though he could have said he was running to meet his friends but really Mrs. Weasley knows Tiberius has a crush on The-Girl-Who-Lived so that wouldn't have worked so his best option to get on the train to see her was to ask.

Everyone who has said they liked this story thank you very much! It means a lot to me that people will actually read this(my brothers are to mean to read what their little sister has written. Thanks a lot guys)So thanks really.

I really want to update more than I do now but the cable to my mother's laptop(I don;t have my own sadly T_T) broke so I have to use my brothers' laptop and they don't really like to let me on much, so sorry. Hope we get a new one soon.

Also I'm not really good at big talks or anything like that so please just image the talk between Ron and his brothers, or if you want you can write one and send it to me and the one I like best I'll put in the next chapter.

* * *

DC: The sad truth is that I own nothing so sorry.

"**The Sorting Hat,**" McGonagall read. Everyone in the room looked curious and wondered what houses the kids will be in. The first years looked kinda scared.

**The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Aura's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.**

"She isn't" the pranksters in the room said

Lily looked at all of them warily as though she really didn't want to know but... "Then why do you?" she asked

"cause it's fun." they told her as though it was obvious, Lily just shook her head

"**The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.**

"**Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."**

**She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.**

"I love those staircases," Fred sighed. "They provide perfect hiding spots for when you're pranking someone."

All the first years were listening to this with wide slightly glazed eyes as though they were imaging it.

**They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Aura could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right — the rest of the school must already be here — but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.**

"Aww," the girls cooed. James and Sirius rolled their eyes.

"**Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts.**

The marauders were reciting this Professor McGonagall though their voices faltered slightly when she glared at them.

Tiberius looked at his older cousins and said "That's the same speech she gave us last year,"

Bill said " She gives the same speech every year." Tiberius nodded

**You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.**

"**The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points.**

"Something these three—" Alice said, pointing to the marauders—"never learned."

"Wait what about Peter? He's a marauder too. Why isn't he here?" James asked Dumbledore.

Before Dumbledore could answer a note fell from the ceiling Frank took the note and read

_We have a good reason for him not being here don't worry about him... When you get to the third book remember Sirius control your temper._

_Love The Golden Trio_

Everyone looked confused, the note didn't really tell them why Peter wasn't here. And why did this trio tell Sirius to control his temper when they read the third book?_  
_

**At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.**

"**The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."**

**Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.**

**Aura nervously tried to flatten her hair.  
**

"Won't work kitten, Potter hair is untameable." James said, while Ron pouted at the mention of the smudge _again_.

"**I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."**

**She left the chamber. Aura swallowed.**

"**How exactly do they sort us into houses?" she asked Ron.**

"**Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."**

"Fred don't tell your brother things like that, do you understand me?" Mrs. Weasley asked her son.

**Aura's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But she didn't know any magic yet —what on earth would she have to do? She hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived.**

"You'll be fine, Aura." Lily said with a small smile.

**She looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need.**

"How many spells did you learn?" Remus asked the young girl.

"I don't know I haven't got my books yet." said a blushing Hermione

**Aura tried hard not to listen to her. She'd never been more nervous, never, not even when she'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that she'd somehow turned her teacher's wig blue. **.

"Awesome," the twins cheered.

James grinned "A prankster in the making," he said and gave Aura a bear hug, Aura grinned at her father and told him "That's how my class found out he had a wig, his face was pretty funny when Christian told him his hair was blue and he just ripped his hair off his head in response, it was hilarious."

Everyone was laughing after her little story.

**She kept her eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead her to her doom.**

"Dramatic much, Aura?" Ron asked with a chuckle.

"Oh, like you aren't Ron?" Ron had no response to that so he kept quiet.

**Then something happened that made her jump about a foot in the air — several people behind her screamed.**

"What happened?" Alice and Lily asked, worried for their kids.

"I'm sure it's nothing bad," McGonagall comforted them.

"**What the —?"**

**She gasped. So did the people around her. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing.**

"Ah, it's just the ghosts." The women sighed.

McGonagall shook her head the ghosts did this every year.

"Their probably arguing about Peeves," Tonks said "they fight about it every year."

**What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance —"**

"Fat Friar," Alice grinned.

"**My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost — I say, what are you all doing here?"**

**A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.**

"Nick!" The marauders, Fabian and Tiberius cheered.

**Nobody answered.**

"**New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"**

**A few people nodded mutely.**

"**Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."**

"Go Hufflepuff" Tonks and Alice cheered.

"**Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."**

**Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.**

"**Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."**

**Feeling oddly as though her legs had turned to lead, Aura got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.**

**Aura had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place.**

"It is wonderful isn't it," Charlie smiled.

**It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Aura looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. She heard Hermione whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in **_**Hogwarts, A History**_**."**

"It sounds great," Neville said. Hermione nodded in agreement

**It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.**

**Aura quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.**

The twins grinned and put on their _Prank Dursleys list_: Borrow sorting hat and sneak it into Dursleys home.**  
**

_**Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it**_**, Aura thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing**

"Why in the world would we pull a rabbit out of a hat?" the pure-bloods asked.

"It's what Muggle magicians do," Mr. Granger explained

"Oh"

— **noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, she stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth — and the hat began to sing:**

"_**Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,**_

"We don't." The twins chuckled.

_**But don't judge on what you see,**_

_**I'll eat myself if you can find**_

_**A smarter hat than me.**_

The marauders looked at each other and James whispered "Lets find a smarter hat." Sirius and Remus nodded and smiled_**  
**_

_**You can keep your bowlers black,**_

_**Your top hats sleek and tall,**_

_**For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat**_

_**And I can cap them all.**_

_**There's nothing hidden in your head**_

_**The Sorting Hat can't see,**_

_**So try me on and I will tell you**_

_**Where you ought to be.**_

_**You might belong in Gryffindor,**_

_**Where dwell the brave at heart,**_

_**Their daring, nerve, and chivalry**_

_**Set Gryffindors apart;**_

"Whoo!" marauderscheered_**  
**_

_**You might belong in Hufflepuff,**_

_**Where they are just and loyal,**_

_**Those patient Hufflepuffs are true**_

_**And unafraid of toil;**_

"Yyyeaaahhh!" Alice and Tonks cheered_**  
**_

_**Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,**_

_**if you've a ready mind,**_

_**Where those of wit and learning,**_

_**Will always find their kind;**_

_**Or perhaps in Slytherin**_

_**You'll make your real friends,**_

_**Those cunning folk use any means**_

_**To achieve their ends.**_

"Bbbbbbooooooooo!" marauders, twins, Fabian and Tiberius_**  
**_

_**So put me on! Don't be afraid!**_

_**And don't get in a flap!**_

_**You're in safe hands (though I have none)**_

_**For I'm a Thinking Cap!"**_

**The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.**

The room also burst into applause.

"That was a better song than we got," Frank observed "but then again there was a war going on then, of course your song would be more peaceful."

"**So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Aura. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."**

"FRED WEASLEY!"

"Sorry Ron," Fred muttered before his mom could really yell at him.

**Aura smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but she did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching.**

**The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Aura didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment.**

**If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for her.**

"Everyone would be in that house," McGonagall chuckled.

**Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.**

"**When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"**

**A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause —**

"**HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.**

"Go Hannah!" the two Hufflepuffs in the room cheered**  
**

**The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Aura saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.**

"**Bones, Susan!"**

"**HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.**

"**Boot, Terry!"**

"**RAVENCLAW!"**

**The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.**

"**Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender"** **became the first new Gryffindor,**

"Wwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooo! Go Lavender!" the marauders cheered.

**and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Aura could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.**

Mrs. Weasley glared at them with disapproval.**  
**

"**Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. **

Hissing could be heard from several different directions.**  
**

**Perhaps it was Aura's imagination, after all she'd heard about Slytherin, but she thought they looked like an unpleasant lot.**

"They are," Fred said. "I've had to partner with her brother in Potions. Not fun, not at all."

**She was starting to feel definitely sick now. She remembered being picked for teams during gym at her old school. She had always been last to be chosen, not because she was no good, which she wasn't but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked her.**

Aura was shocked that the book hasn't combusted yet what with all the heated glares being sent at it.**  
**

"**Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"**

"**HUFFLEPUFF!"**

**Sometimes, Aura noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus,"**

**the sandy-haired boy next to Aura in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.**

"Go Seamus!" the twins yelled.

"If you don't shut it, I will hex you," Alice hissed, getting annoyed with all the interruptions.

"**Granger, Hermione!"**

Hermione and her parents looked up in excitement and fear**  
**

**Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.**

"Nice Hermione," George chuckled.

Hermione only blushed as a answer.

"**GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned.**

Mr. Granger glared at Ron, the boy didn't seem to like Hermione much in the last chapter but he'd hoped he was imaging it.

Ron shrank away from Mr. Granger's glare.

**A horrible thought struck Aura, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if she wasn't chosen at all?**

"Dramatic much?" Tonks giggled.

"Hey!"

**What if she just sat there with the hat over her eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off her head and said there had obviously been a mistake and she'd better get back on the train?**

James shook his head "That'd never happen."**  
**

**When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool.**

**The hat took a long time to decide with Neville.**

**When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."**

"Go Neville!" Everyone cheered, Frank and Alice beamed and hugged Neville.

**Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"**

"Boo!" Ron and Aura hissed.

**Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.**

**There weren't many people left now. "Moon"…, "Nott"… , "Parkinson"… , then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil"… , then "Perks, Sally-Anne"… , and then, at last —**

"**Potter, Aurora!"**

**As Aura stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.**

"_**Potter**_**, did she say?"**

"_**The **_**Aurora Potter?"**

Aura groaned at that "I hate being famous,"

**The last thing Aura saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at her. Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited.**

"**Hmm," said a small voice in her ear, making her jump a bit. "Difficult. Very difficult.**

"No it's not, she's Gryffindor." James said.

**Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes — and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting… So where shall I put you?"**

"Gryffindor," The Sirius and James said. They were a little nervous, what if she didn't get into Gryffindor? They shook their heads it didn't matter she was still Aura and thats what mattered.

**Aura gripped the edges of the stool and thought, **_**Not Slytherin, not Slytherin**_**.**

"**Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that — no?**

"NNNNNNNNNOOOOO-!" James and Sirius yelled before Lily smacked them behind their heads and looked at Aura pointly

James smiled a little at his daughter who looked hurt, "It doesn't matter, your still my daughter and I love you." Sirius nodded "My little kitten, no matter what"

Aura got up from her seat next to Ron and hugged her father and godfather.

**Well, if you're sure — better be GRYFFINDOR!"**

"!"

James and Sirius were cheering like crazy people and starting doing a weird dance while chanting "She's in Gryffindor, she's in Gryffindor, she's in Gryffindor..." until Lily stunned them

Alice looked at them "How did they drag Remus into that?" everyone looked at the stunned marauders and shrugged, they didn't know. After everyone else congratulated Aura Lily revived the boys and the continued to read but with one differnce, all the marauders-even Remus-had huge grins on their faces.

**Aura heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. She took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. She was so relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, she hardly noticed that she was getting the loudest cheer yet. Percy the Prefect got up and shook her hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"**

"We are great, right Forge?"

"You bet Gred."

**Aura sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff she'd seen earlier. The ghost patted her arm, giving Aura the sudden, horrible feeling she'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.**

"I hate that," Tonks shuddered.

"Me too," Remus frowned.

**She could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest her sat Hagrid, who caught her eye and gave her the thumbs up. Aura grinned back. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Aura recognized him at once from the card she'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts.**

"Really? Hmm I never noticed." Dumbledore commented.

**Aura spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.**

**And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Aura at the Gryffindor table.**

"Go Dean!" All the Gryffindors cheered.

"**Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now.**

**Aura crossed her fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"**

"Go Ron!" the twins yelled.

"They do know that they're talking to a book?" Aura asked Ron.

"Don't question it."

**Aura clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to her.**

"**Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously across Aura**

"Prat," the twins said with a roll of their eyes.

**as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.**

"Boo!" the twins hissed at the mention of Slytherin.

**Aura looked down at her empty gold plate. She had only just realized how hungry she was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.**

**Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.**

"Nothing does please me more than seeing all your faces." Dumbledore said with a smile

"**Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!**

The first years and Hermione's parents looked a little confused but didn't question it, even though they barely knew him it just seemed so _Dumbledore._

"**Thank you!"**

**He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Aura didn't know whether to laugh or not.**

"**Is he — a bit mad?" she asked Percy uncertainly.**

James nodded "He's absoultly mental"

"**Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Aurora?"**

**Aura's mouth fell open.**

**The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.**

"Dumbledore likes them," Tiberius shrugged. "Told me last year when I was in his office after hexing Fred."

Fabian grinned "That's my boy."

**The Dursleys had never exactly starved Aura, but she'd never been allowed to eat as much as she liked. Dudley had always taken anything that Aura really wanted, even if It made him sick. Aura piled her plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.**

Ron and Sirius groaned "Food."

"**That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Aura cut up her steak.**

"**Can't you —?"**

"**I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it.**

**I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."**

"Nearly headless Nick!" Ron yelled

"**I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you — you're Nearly Headless Nick!"**

"Stop repeating yourself Ron,"

"**I would **_**prefer **_**you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy —" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.**

"_**Nearly **_**Headless? How can you be **_**nearly **_**headless?"**

"I hate this part," Lily moaned.

**Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.**

"**Like **_**this**_**," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces,**

"That's disgusting," Hermione wrinkled her nose.

**Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So — new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable — he's the Slytherin ghost."**

"NO! the horror!" Sirius, James, Frank, and Fabian yelled**  
**

**Aura looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood.**

**He was right next to Malfoy who, Aura was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.**

"HA!"**  
**

"**How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.**

"**I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.**

"I want to know now," Aura whispered to Ron.

"We when we get there want to ask?"

"You bet."

**When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding…**

**As Aura helped herself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.**

"Mmm, my favorite." Lily said

"**I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."**

Snape winced that sounded a lot like his parents.

**The others laughed.**

"**What about you, Neville?" said Ron.**

"**Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages.**

"What happened to Alice and me?" Frank asked.**  
**

**My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me — he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned — but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced — all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy.**

Frank and Alice looked pissed

"I'm going to talk to Uncle Algie when we get back." Frank said through clenched teeth

**And you should have seen their faces when I got in here — they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."**

**On Aura's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons**

**("I **_**do **_**hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration,**

James smiled and at the same time he and McGonagall said "The best subject."

**you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult —"; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing — ").**

**Aura, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.**

"Snape" James and Sirius said it as something disgusting.

**It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Aura's eyes — and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Aura's forehead.**

"What's that about?" Lily asked.

"**Ouch!" Aura clapped a hand to her head.**

"**What is it?" asked Percy.**

"**N-nothing."**

**The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Aura had gotten from the teacher's look — a feeling that he didn't like Aura at all.**

"**Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" she asked Percy.**

"**Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape.**

There was around of boo's from all over the room, mostly from the marauders.

**He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to — everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."**

**Aura watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at her again.**

**At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.**

"**Ahem — just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered.**

"What? Are we horses?" Fred asked.

**I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.**

"**First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."**

"We never listened to that." Sirius chuckled.**  
**

**Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.**

"He always used to do that to us!"

"**I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.**

"**Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.**

"**And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."**

**Aura laughed, but she was one of the few who did.**

"**He's not serious?"**

"No, I am." Sirius laughed. James and Remus hit him in the back of the head.

"Ow, jerks"

**she muttered to Percy.**

"**Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere — the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."**

"Prat," the twins and Tiberius rolled their eyes.

"**And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.**

"don't you both like it?" Dumbledore asked Snape and McGonagall, they didn't answer.

**Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.**

"**Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"**

"Let's sing too!" the twins said happily

**And the school bellowed:**

And the room bellowed:**  
**

"_**Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,**_

_**Teach us something please,**_

_**Whether we be old and bald**_

_**Or young with scabby knees,**_

_**Our heads could do with filling**_

_**With some interesting stuff,**_

_**For now they're bare and full of air,**_

_**Dead flies and bits of fluff,**_

_**So teach us things worth knowing,**_

_**Bring back what we've forgot,**_

_**just do your best, we'll do the rest,**_

_**And learn until our brains all rot."**_

Mr. and Mrs. Granger clapped along with the first years

"That was really good."

**Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.**

"**Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"**

"Yep we're horses alright Fred." George told his twin

**The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Aura's legs were like lead again, but only because she was so tired and full of food. She was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries.**

**They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Aura was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.**

**A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.**

"Peeves!" Fabian and Tiberius cheered, they loved that poltergeist

"**Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves — show yourself."**

**A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.**

"**Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"**

"Prat," the twins huffed. They liked Peeves.

**There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.**

"**Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"**

**He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.**

"**Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.**

"Is he afraid of the Baron or something?" Aura asked

"The Bloody Baron is the only person he respects" James explained "You'll learn how to use in your favour in no time"

**Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.**

"OI, that's my son." Alice yelled

"**You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."**

**At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.**

"**Password?" she said.**

"**Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it — Neville needed a leg up — and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.**

"I love the common room," Lily sighed and all the Gryffindors that already been there nodded in agreement.

**Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase — they were obviously in one of the towers — they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.**

"**Sorry about Ron earlier" Aura apologized for Ron. **

**Hermione sighed "It's okay," She told Aura.**

**Aura was going to ask Hermione if she'd had any of the treacle tart, but she fell asleep almost at once.**

**Perhaps Aura had eaten a bit too much, because she had a very strange dream. She was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to her, telling her he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was her destiny.**

"Uhh?" James asked

** Aura told the turban she didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; she tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully — and there was Malfoy, laughing at her as she struggled with it — then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold — there was a burst of green light and Aura woke, sweating and shaking.**

"Wow that was creepy."

**She rolled over and fell asleep again, and when she woke next day, she didn't remember the dream at all.**

"Alright," McGonagall said. "Professer Snape your next."

Snape sighed and took the book reluctantly. He raised and eyebrow at the next chapters name.

"**The Potions Master**" he read


	9. The potions master

DC: Nothing is mine sadly.

"**The Potions Master," **Snape read, frowning. He really didn't want to read this.

"**There, look." **

"**Where?" **

"**Next to the tall kid with the red hair." **

"**The really short girl?" **

"**Did you see her face?" **

"**Did you see her scar?" **

Aura frowned "Is it always going to be like that?" she asked

"What's wrong with it?" James asked confused "There's nothing wrong with a bit of attention"

"Just because you're an attention seeking git, James, it doesn't mean that our daughter has to be too" Lily rolled her eyes. James pouted and most people laughed.

**Whispers followed Aura from the moment she left her dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at her, or doubled back to pass her in the corridors again, staring. Aura wished they wouldn't, because she was trying to concentrate on finding her way to classes. **

Snape raised an eyebrow, he didn't think like he thought Potter's daughter would, but he wasn't convinced.

**There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts:**

"Really?"

** wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. **

"Maybe you could use a map" Sirius smirked. The Marauders laughed as the rest of the room looked afraid of what this 'map' could so. Knowing the Marauders, the possibility of having something else on it were high.

**The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Aura was sure the coats of armor could walk. **

"Yes, they can" Tonks said "On my first week they decided to follow me around scaring the hell out of me"

**The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. **

"Never trust Peeves" Percy said

**He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!" **

"I hate when he does that" Frank shuddered, Alice and Lily nodded agreeing

"He never does that to us" James grinned

"That'd be because you and Sirius taught him that" Remus rolled his eyes

"You taught him that? Cool" The twins and Tiberius chimed

"If they taught him that why didn't he to that to you?" Frank raised an eyebrow at Remus, who smirked

"Being a Marauder has it's advantages"

**Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. **

"He's still alive?" Sirius groaned

"Yes, he is, Mr. Black and you should be glad so" McGonagall snapped

"Aww, c'mon the guy is a pain on the neck" Sirius whined

"I was under the impression that you enjoy making his life a hell" Alice commented

"We do" James and Sirius chorused "It's quite amusing"

"And why didn't you try and stop them?" Lily looked at Remus, but before the werewolf could say anything James and Sirius started laughing

"Yeah, right" Sirius let out "He helped us everyday"

"And sometimes gave us ideas" James added "Remember the day Filch stole his chocolate…" He couldn't finish his sentence as he and Sirius started laughing again. Dumbledore and MsGonagall were looking at three boys amused, wondering what happened under their noses. Remus blushed "Er… Snape you should keep reading"

**Aura and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning. **

"That's impressive" George said as he grinned "You know, Fred, maybe Ronnie here will follow our footsteps"

Fred grinned back "Maybe we should start giving him some… tips" They laughed. Ron, looked interested. Mrs. Weasley, on other hand

"No, absolutely not" She crossed her arms. And Snape just kept reading.

**Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing. **

**Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. **

"Oh, no" This time not only the Marauders, but Lily, Alice, Fabian and Frank groaned too

"He must have done something with that cat" Sirius concluded "Dark Magic, because how the hell doesn't she die?"

"Mr. Filch is not capable of doing dark magic, Mr. Black" McGonagall said, the marauders snorted but didn't say anything.

**She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasley twins) **

The Twins high-fived again

**and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick. **

"We kicked her" Sirius, James and surprisingly Remus exclaimed happily

"What have you done to him?" Alice gasped

"What? She always got in the way of our pranks" Remus defended himself.

"Wow, your not as innocent as you seem" Tonks teased. Remus winked at her "Never been" Tonks went red and that made the whole room laugh

"Moony and Dora" Sirius laughed "This should be good"

Remus, fighting the blush coming to his face rolled his eyes. And Snape started reading after people stopped laughing.

Aura looked over at Ron "Wan to try when we get to Hogwarts?" she asked in a whisper, Ron nodded.

**And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Aura quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words. **

"Of course it is" McGonagall said.

**They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, **

**where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for. Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up. **

**Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Aura's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.**

McGoanagll and Dumbledore chuckled, and Snape rolled his eyes

**Professor McGonagall was again different. Aura had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class. **

"**Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned." **

McGonagall smiled.

"But Minnie, you always let us back." Sirius said, only to be glared at by 'Minnie'

**Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.  
**

"Well done, Miss Granger" McGonagall smiled "I was right when I said you'd do great"

Hermione beamed

**The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story. For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went. **

"He must have suffered if he can't even talk about it" Alice said with sympathy. Tonks- a arouor in training, by Mad-eye Moody no less- on other hand looked suspicious.

**Aura was very relieved to find out that she wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like her, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start. **

Ron looked surprised on being addressed as someone… er… superior, because he knew he was not in any way.

Aura breathed a sigh of relief at this good news.

**Friday was an important day for Aura and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once. **

"It took you a week, I did on the second day" Tiberius scoffed

"**What have we got today?" Aura asked Ron as she poured sugar on her porridge. **

"**Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them — we'll be able to see if it's true." **

"I bet it is" Sirius muttured

"**Wish McGonagall favored us," said Aura. **

"Of course not" McGonagall said.

"Impoissble." Charlie muttered

**Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.**

"That's kind of mean" Sirius commented "Poor firsties, they didn't stand a chance" He joked

"It's important for the students to do their homework, Mr. Black" McGonagall snapped "It helps them a lot, even if you never respected its help, it is important"

"Yeah, Yeah" Sirius waved his hand in a careless manner. McGonagall rolled her eyes.

**Just then, the mail arrived. Aura had gotten used to this by now, but it had given her a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, **

"It must be a beautiful sight" Mr. Granger said intrigued, but Mrs. Granger looked worried

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" She said nervously "Some birds are known for having illnesses that can be passed to humans. Is it wise to let the birds fly around, especially on breakfast time?"

"Relax, Mrs. Granger. I guarantee you that it's not dangerous" Dumbledore smiled at her

**circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps. **

**Hedwig hadn't brought Aura anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble her ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls. **

"Aww, that's so sweet" Lily said

"Yeah, she's really smart" Alice agreed

**This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Aura's plate. Aura tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl: **

_**Dear Aura, **_

_**I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? **_

_**I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig. **_

_**Hagrid**_

Lily beamed at Hagrid and mouthed 'Thanks'. Hagrid smiled back at her.

**Aura borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled **_**Yes, please, see you later **_**on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again. **

**It was lucky that Aura had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to her so far. **

"I wonder why?" James muttered unhappily, Snape was going to make his daughter's life hell and there was nothing he could do about that. Great, that's just great.

**At the start-of-term banquet, Aura had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked her. By the end of the first Potions lesson, she knew she'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Aura**

Lily breathed a sigh of relief, she had been worried about how her old friend would treat her daughter.

** — he **_**hated **_**her. **

McGonagall shot Snape an disappointing look, as Dumbledore shook his head, but didn't do anything. The Marauders were frowning and wanted so badly so say something, but they knew how much he had hurt Lily and how hard it was for her to hear this.

Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Granger who did not know the story were shooting Snape a look that clearly said 'How-can-you-hate-a-student-you-barely-know'. Alice and Frank had an idea of what was wrong, so they stick to hoping he wouldn't bully all Gryffindors.

**Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls. **

"Sounds like Biology" Mr. Granger said, he loved biology

"It's not exactly that" Lily said "It's more like Chemistry, the animals are the ingredients"

"Oh"

**Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Aura's name. **

"**Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Aurora Potter. Our new — **_**celebrity**_**." **

**Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels. **

Lily frowned, even though she and Severus weren't friends anymore she still worried about him. She _really_ didn't like how the book described him.

"**You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word — like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.**

"For different reasons" Charlie muttured, he had class with Snape and let's just say that he's the reason he sucked at Potions, the guy freaked him out.

"**As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death — if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." **

"That was a good speech, Sev until you called them dunderheads." Lily told him

Snape shrugged " They children don't really give me reason to think other wise."**  
**

**More silence followed this little speech. Aura and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. **

Mr. and Mrs. Granger chuckled

"**Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" **

"Hey, that's not fair, you don't learn that on first year" Remus exclaimed, knowing that that was what Lily wanted to say.

"You can't do that, Snape" Sirius agreed. Snape did not look directly at them when he said

"You can't teach me how to teach my class since I believe I'm the Potions Master at Hogwarts"

Sirius was about to say something back at him, but Lily put her hand on his shoulder telling him to stop. She had been best friends with him for years and she knew that the one thing he hated more than anything is to be ignored

_**Powdered root of what to an infusion of what**_**? Aura glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as she was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air. **

The Snape in the room looked surprised that the girl knew it, but of course wouldn't admit it.

"**I don't know, sir," said Aura. **

**Snape's lips curled into a sneer. **

"**Tut, tut — fame clearly isn't everything." **

**He ignored Hermione's hand. **

"**Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" **

Aura was looking nervous, am I really that stupid? She thought sadly.

"Professor Snape, I think we'll have a talk later" McGonagall said unhappily, how could he do that to a student?

**Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Aura didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. She tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter.**

"I doubt they know it" Bill scoffed

"**I don't know, sir." **

"**Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Aura forced herself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. She had looked through her books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect her to remember everything in **_**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi**_**? **

**Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand. **

"You really know that" Remus looked at the girl, who blushed

"I don't want to seem stupid" Most people chuckled

"You must certainly won't seem stupid" Mr. Weasley smiled at her

"**What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" **

**At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.**

"**I don't know," said Aura quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" **

"Go Harry" Fred, George and Tiberius cheered

**A few people laughed; Aura caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked.**

James and Sirius frowned at that. No boy was going to wink at their precious little daughter/goddaughter.

** Snape, however, was not pleased. **

"**Sit down," he snapped at Hermione.**

"That's not fair" Charlie said "You asked a question and she knows the a answer" Snape glared at him, Charlie smiled. Now that he was out of school he didn't have to 'behave' in front of him.

"**For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" **

"Because you didn't tell them to," Frank said

**There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."**

**Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. **

McGonagall looked angry at that, of course, there were some students she liked better than others, but that didn't mean she showed favouritism.

**He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs. **

"Neville" Alice exclaimed. Neville bowed his head ready to apologize about his stupidness, but...

"Oh my God, are you ok?" Alice said looking at her son, Neville looked surprised. Did she really expect an answer? It didn't even happen yet.

"**Idiot boy!" **

"Don't call my son stupid!" Frank growled

**snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?" **

**Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose. **

"**Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Aura and Ron, who had been working next to Neville. **

"**You — Potter — why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."**

"That's not fair, she didn't know what I'd do" Neville exclaimed

**This was so unfair that Aura opened her mouth to argue, but Ron kicked her behind their cauldron. **

"**Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty." **

**As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Aura's mind was racing and her spirits were low. She'd lost two points for Gryffindor in her very first week**

The Marauders and the Twins scoffed

"That's nothing" Fred said "We lost 50 in our first day"

"We lost 50 in our first class" James smirked. Fred and George looked impressed

—_**why **_**did Snape hate her so much? **

"Yes, why do hate her?" Mrs. Granger asked angrily

Snape ignored her

"It's because of me" James said

"What?" Aura said

"Let's just say Snape and I weren't what you call friend and we played some pranks on him, so I'm sure that's why he hates you. He's probably thinking you're just like me" James exclaimed

"That's not reason for you to hate her" Mrs. Granger said

"The world doesn't need another James Potter" Snape whispered

"He's my daughter too, you know Severus" Lily said.

"I know" Something glimpsed on his eyes that confused her. But she didn't want to think about it because he choose the Dark path over her so that's what he gets. Snape started reading again

"**Cheer up," said Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?" **

**At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door. **

**When Aura knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "**_**Back**_**, Fang —**_**back**_**." **

"Who's Fang?" Ron asked

"Me dog" Hagrid said

"How is dear old Fang, Hagrid?" Charlie asked

" Good, but still a coward" Hagrid chuckled

**Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open. **

"**Hang on," he said. "**_**Back**_**, Fang." **

**He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound. **

**There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it. **

"**Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. **

"He used to do that to me too" Charlie chuckled

**Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.**

Hagrid chuckled

"**This is Ron," Aura told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate. **

"**Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles.**

Ron frowned as his brothers suppressed a sigh. If people didn't stop to address Ron as 'Another Weasley' he'd never get over his inferiority complex

"**I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."**

"How come nobody told me that?" Mrs. Weasley glared at her sons

"C'mon, mum. It's cool there" George said

"It's dangerous" Mrs. Weasley said

"What's life without a bit of danger?" Fred asked. Charlie cheered

"Hear, Hear" but as Mrs. Weasley turned her glared at him, he corrected himself "I mean, It's dangerous and stupid"

People chuckled "Wow, Romania whipped you" George said. More people laughed

"Yeah, I mean dragons no problems, Mum on other hand" Fred said and this time everyone laughed including Mrs. Weasley and Charlie.

**The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Aura and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons. **

"What? Yer don't like me cakes?" Hagrid looked shocked

"Humm… maybe it was just that cake" Aura suggested shyly

"Oh, it must that new flour I was going to buy. I'll make sure not to buy it anymore" He said.

**Fang rested his head on Aura's knee and drooled all over her robes, even so Aura found Fang to be adorable.**

**Aura and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch "that old git." **

"**An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her — Filch puts her up to it." **

"You should do that" Bill said

"If you want some help" Fred started

"We're free every Thursday afternoon" George concluded

**Aura told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told Aura not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students. **

"**But he seemed to really **_**hate **_**me." **

"**Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?" **

"Because he's unfair" Mrs. Granger huffed

**Yet Aura couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet her eyes when he said that. **

"**How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot — great with animals." **

Charlie grinned "I'm alright" He said

**Aura wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. **

"Of course he did"

**While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Aura picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy. It was a cutting from the **_**Daily Prophet**_**: **

_**GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST **_

Bill started to listen carefully at that.

_**Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day. **_

"_**But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon. **_

"Sounds like something a Goblin would say" Bill chuckled

**Aura remembered Ron telling her on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date. **

"**Hagrid!" said Aura, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!" **

**There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Aura's eyes this time. He grunted and offered her another rock cake. Aura read the story again. **_**The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. **_

"Told you it was not a smart idea to do that in front of her" Remus said

**Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for? **

Dumbledore looked thoughtful at that. _Who could be looking for the stone? Unless… oh. Yes, that'd be possible. I just hope it is not what I'm thinking_.

**As Aura and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Aura thought that none of the lessons she'd had so far had given her as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Aura?**

"Wow, you're a worrier" Tonks snorted

"That's the end of the chapter" Snape said gratefully

"Can I read next?" Lily said

Snape handed her the book.

"Let's see, next chapter is called '**The Midnight Duel.** I don't like the sound of that'" She said

"You better not be duelling!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed

"Yeah, you have to learn how to do it first" James said. Lily glared at him

"I mean… huh… why don't you read, dear?" He said.


	10. The Midnight Duel

DC: Nothing is mine, now please excuse me I must go and cry in my little crying corner over there.

"**The Midnight Duel," **Lily read, causing her and Mrs. Weasley to glare at their children

**Aura had never believed she would meet a boy she hated more than Dudley, but that was before she met Draco Malfoy. Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much.**

"Lucky for you" Sirius said "We had to put up with the snakes in Potions, Herbology and charms"

**Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday — and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.**

"Not a good idea" Frank said

"What is the reason behind this rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin?" Mr. Granger asked curiously

"It's a long story" Remus said "Slytherins are known for supporting Voldermort's philosophy, that only pure-blood wizards deserve the privilege of having magical powers. While Gryffindor is known for being that house that has more 'blood-traitors'"

"I guess that makes sense, I mean, it takes courage to be a traitor, even when being the traitor is the right thing to do" Mr. Granger said "But is that the only reason?"

"No, but it's the main reason" Remus said

"**Typical," said Aura darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."**

Aura looked nervous, James saw that

"Don't worry, you'll do fine" He said

"How do you know?" Aura asked

"You're a Potter" James told her "Potters are natural flyers" Aura grinned at her dad, feeling relived. Mrs. Granger, on other hand, looked worried. Hermione's afraid of highs and she knew that she wouldn't be able to fly.

**She had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.**

"It sounds like fun." Aura admitted **  
**

"**You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."**

**Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams**** and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters.**

"Yeah, right. I bet he doesn't even know what a helicopter is" Bill scoffed

**He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom. **

"What? You took my broom?" Charlie exclaimed

"Your old broom" Ron corrected, backing off a bit. One thing you should learn, never ever make Charlie angry. Sometimes he can be more destructive than a Dragon.

**Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly.**

"Because it's awesome" Ron said happily and the others boys nodded.

**Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about soccer. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly.**

"It's really nice, though I'm not a football player" Mr. Granger said

**Aura had heard Seamus had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to make the players move.**

People laughed

"I don't think it's going to work" Lily smiled at Ron, who was blushing but laughing as well.

**Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Aura felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.**

"Sorry, you get it from me" Alice said, Neville smiled at her

"Don't worry you get used to it after a while"

"Tell me about it" Tonks muttered; Sirius laughed

"Do you still fall over every single thing in front of you?" He asked. Tonks glared at him and huffed. The younger people laughed.

"For your information, Sirius, I'm starting Auror training this year" She crossed her arms.

"Yeah and I _am _an Auror." Sirius said with a smug smile.

**Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was.**

Mrs. Granger frowned, knowing what was coming next.

**This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book — not that she hadn't tried. At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called **_**Quidditch Through the Ages**_**.**

"Hey, the book is awesome" Sirius protested "It's the best book I've ever read"

"Padfoot, it's the only book you've ever read" Remus rolled his eyes.

**Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail.**

Mr. Granger's eyes narrowed, he liked most of these people and all but he didn't want Hermione to go somewhere where she doesn't have friends. He knows that she doesn't have any friends at her 'muggle' school either.

**Aura hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table.**

"It's not a good thing, it will root his teeth"

**A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.**

"**It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things — this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red — oh…" His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "… you've forgotten something…"**

**Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.**

"You better leave him alone" Frank growled

**Aura and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.**

"**What's going on?"**

"**Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."**

**Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.**

"**Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.**

"Git"

**At three-thirty that afternoon, Aura, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.**

**The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Aura had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.**

James started to listen carefully, he knew Aura was going to be amazing on a broom she's a Potter after all.

**Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.**

"Wow, that's cool" Mr. Granger said

"**Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."**

**Aura glanced down at her broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.**

"That's because they're the school's brooms. Nobody uses them, just the first-years to learn how to fly" Tonks said

"**Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"**

"**UP" everyone shouted.**

**Aura's broom jumped into her hand at once, but it was one of the few that did.**

"Yes" James exclaimed "I knew it, you're natural" and Aura beamed at him, she hoped she wasn't going to disappoint her father.

**Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, **

"It kind of does, though it doesn't see if your scared, it sees If you have confident" Bill said

**thought Aura; there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.**

**Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Aura and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.**

"HA!" Aura and Ron yelled and high-fived.

"**Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle — three — two —"**

**But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.**

"**Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle — twelve feet — twenty feet. Aura saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and —**

"Dear lord" Alice gasped

**WHAM — a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay facedown on the grass in a heap.**

"Are you ok? Ah my god" Alice started looking for bruises on the boy's arm. He blushed,

"Mum, it hasn't happened yet" He said. Alice blushed

"Oh"

**His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.**

**Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.**

"**Broken wrist," Aura heard her mutter. "Come on, boy — it's all right, up you get."**

"Don't worry, Madame Pompey will fix in no time" McGonagall said

**She turned to the rest of the class.**

"**None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."**

**Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.**

**No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.**

"**Did you see his face, the great lump?"**

"Idiot, as if he would have been in any different state after that" Charlie hissed.

**The other Slytherins joined in.**

"**Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.**

"**Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought **_**you'd **_**like fat little crybabies, Parvati."**

"**Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."**

**The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.**

"Oh, I'm going to hit him some day," Hermione muttered "I'll make sure of it."**  
**

"**Give that here, Malfoy," said Aura quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.**

"And here we see James's genes" Lily sighed and so did Snape

**Malfoy smiled nastily.**

"**I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find — how about — up a tree?"**

"**Give it **_**here**_**!" Aura yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he **_**could **_**fly well.**

**Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"**

**Aura grabbed her broom.**

"No" Lily yelled

"_**No!" **_**shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move — you'll get us all into trouble."**

"Yes, listen to her" Lily said "You don't even know how to fly yet"

"But he has Neville's Remembrall" Aura protested, knowing that her future-self probably did not hear Hermione.

**Aura ignored her. **

Lily glared at James "This is all your fault, the noble git part comes from you"

"Don't worry, Lils" James put a hand on her shoulder, she shook it off

"Don't worry! DON'T WORRY! Our daughter is about to kill herself in her first flying lesson and you tell me not to worry"

"Lily, first, did you see the way the broom flew to her hand, she's a natural. I bet she's a lot better than that excuse of a wizard" James said "And there are _seven_ books. She's not gonna die" He added. Lily still looked unconvinced but let it go.

**Blood was pounding in her ears. She mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up she soared; air rushed through her hair, and her robes whipped out behind her — and in a rush of fierce joy she realized she'd found something she could do without being taught — this was easy, this was **_**wonderful**_**.**

"See, natural" James grinned. Aura was too, imaging how it must feel.

**She pulled her broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron.**

**She turned her broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned.**

James looked smugly at Lily, who rolled her eyes. People chuckled

"**Give it here," Aura called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"**

"**Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.**

**Aura knew, somehow, what to do. She leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Aura made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.**

James looked proud and Aura happy

"**No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Aura called.**

**The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.**

"Coward" Hagrid scoffed

"**Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.**

**Aura saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. She leaned forward and pointed her broom handle down — next second she was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball — wind whistled in her ears, mingled with the screams of people watching — she stretched out her hand — a foot from the ground she caught it, just in time to pull her broom straight, and she toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in her fist.**

"You're a seeker" Remus told Aura

"A what?" She asked confused. Sirius opened his mouth

"Oh, it's a…"

"There's no time for Quidditch talk" Remus said "We'll explain it after this chapter is done"

"**AURORA POTTER!"**

**Her heart sank faster than she'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them.**

"Oh, no. I'm going to be expelled" Aura said unhappily as she looked at her parents sadly

"I guarantee you, that you won't be expelled for that, Ms. Potter" Albus chuckled, as Aura light up as if Christmas had come early.

**She got to her feet, trembling.**

"_**Never **_— **in all my time at Hogwarts —"**

**Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "— how **_**dare **_**you — might have broken your neck —"**

"Thank you, professor" Lily said, McGonagall smiled and James shook his head.

"**It wasn't her fault, Professor —"**

"**Be quiet, Miss Patil —"**

"**But Malfoy —"**

"**That's **_**enough**_**, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."**

**Aura caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as she left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. She was going to be expelled, she just knew it.**

"You're so optimistic, mate" Ron patted her on the head.

**She wanted to say something to defend herself, but there seemed to be something wrong with her voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at her; she had to jog to keep up. Now she'd done it. She hadn't even lasted two weeks. She'd be packing her bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when she turned up on the doorstep?**

Aura shuddered at the thought of going back to the Dursleys.

**Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to her.**

"What are you going to do?" Sirius asked. McGonagall smiled at him, she had an idea.

**She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Aura trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking her to Dumbledore. She thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps she could be Hagrid's assistant. Her stomach twisted as she imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards, while she stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag.**

"Can you stop with that?" Fred asked Aura "I gets kind of depressing after a while"

Aura shrugged

**Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.**

"**Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"**

Wood? thought Aura, scared and bewilered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on her?

**Wood? thought Aura, scared and bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on her?**

"What?" McGonagall said affronted "Of course not, I don't hit my students"

**But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.**

"**Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Aura**

"**In here."**

**Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.**

"**Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys.**

"**Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood — I've found you a Seeker."**

"YES" James and Sirius took Aura and threw her on their shoulders

"My daughter is on the team on her _first_ year" James yelled

"Yeeahh" Sirius cheered, Aura blushed. James and Sirius put her down and walked to McGonagall, she eyed them suspiciously. They stopped at each of her sides and hugged her

"Would get off of me, Mr. Potter and Mr. Black" She exclaimed. They did so but were still grinning at her.

"Welcome to the team, Aura" George grinned at her

"You're at the team?" Aura asked

"Yup, we're beaters" Fred grinned at her. After most of the room gave Aura her congratulation on entering the team, Lily started reading again, with a proud smile on her face.

**Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.**

"**Are you serious, Professor?"**

"**Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The girl's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"**

James beamed at McGonagall, who was starting to freak out at that

**Aura nodded silently. She didn't have a clue what was going on, but she didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to her legs, and her trembling stopped.  
**

"**She caught that thing in her hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch herself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."**

"You're a seeker?" Aura asked

"Yup, could have entered on a professional team but well, I preferred the Dragons" He grinned at Aura. Mrs. Weasley sighed, she would have preferred Quidditch

**Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.**

"**Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly.**

"**Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.**

"**She's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Aura and staring at her. "Light —speedy — we'll have to get her a decent broom, Professor — a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."**

"**I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule.**

"You'll break the rules, that's not fair" Snape scared some people as he spoke, he actually did not want to comment on Potter's life much, but he as just as competitive as McGonagall when it comes to thee House Cup and Quidditch Cup.

"Who told you that?" McGonagall said innocently

**Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. **_**Flattened **_**in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks…"**

Snape looked smug, Sirius and James faked a gag

**Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Aura.**

"**I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you."**

**Then she suddenly smiled.**

"**Your father would have been proud," she said. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself."**

"That's right, I'm awesome" James grinned

"**You're **_**joking**_**."**

"Nope, I'm the best"

**It was dinnertime. Aura had just finished telling Ron what had happened when she'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.**

"_**Seeker**_**?" he said. "But first years **_**never **_— **you must be the youngest house player in about —"**

" — **a century," said Aura, shoveling pie into her mouth. She felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me."**

"Of course he did" Fred chuckled

"Thee guy's obsessed" George agreed

**Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Aura.**

"**I start training next week," said Aura. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."**

**Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Aura, and hurried over.**

"**Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too — Beaters."**

"**I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, **

"That's because you all are nothing without me" Charlie said smugly, Fred and George rolled their eyes.

**but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Aura, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."**

"**Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."**

"**Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."**

Sirus blinked "We found that one on the second day." James and Remus nodded

**Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.**

"**Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"**

"**You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Aura coolly. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.**

"**I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only — no contact.**

"Don't you dare?" Lily snarled

**What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"**

"**Of course she has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm her second, who's yours?"**

Aura was about to ask what was a second but he didn't have chance to as Mrs. Weasley yelled

"No, you're not Ronald Weasley"

**Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.**

"**Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."**

**When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Aura looked at each other.**

"**What is a wizard's duel?" said Aura. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"**

"**Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie. Catching the look on Aura's face, he added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."**

"That makes sense" Charlie said

"And it came from Ron. Wow" Fred teased

"**And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"**

"**Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested.**

Most men laughed and Sirius even cheered

"Yeah, Go Ron"

But Mrs. Weasley glared at Ron

"You won't duel"

"**Excuse me."**

**They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger.**

"Great, maybe she'll be able to set some sense in you" Mrs. Weasley said, Hermione said

"I don't think I'll be able to, Mrs. Weasley" She had just met them that day but she could already see that they're headstrong.

"**Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.**

**Hermione ignored him and spoke to Aura.  
**

"**I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying —"**

"**Bet you could," Ron muttered.**

Mr. Granger glared at Ron.

"— **and you **_**mustn't **_**go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."**

"**And it's really none of your business," said Aura.  
**

"**Good-bye," said Ron.**

Now, he was glaring at both of them as were Mrs. Weasley and Lily.

**All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to the day, Aura thought, as she lay awake much later listening to Lavender and Parvati falling asleep(Hermione was down stairs still studying). Ron had spent all evening giving her advice such as "If he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them."**

"That's because you haven't learned that yet" Remus said

**There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris, and Aura felt she was pushing her luck, breaking another school rule today. **

That moment the Marauders shared a look 'The Cloak' What could have happened to it?

**On the other hand, Malfoy's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness — this was her big chance to beat Malfoy face-to-face. She couldn't miss it.**

Lily turned to glare at James again.

"**Half-past eleven," Ron muttered when Aura came down stairs, "we'd better go."**

**They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Aura."**

**A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown. She hadn't fallen asleep like Aura thought she did(Hermione had fallen asleep once or twice in the common room while studying).  
**

"Don't get near them, Hermione" Hermione said

"_**You!**_" **said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"**

"**I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy — he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."**

"Yes, you should've told me" Percy said "I'd help you"

**Aura couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.**

"**Come on," she said to Ron. She pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.**

**Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.**

"**Don't you **_**care **_**about Gryffindor, do you **_**only **_**care about yourselves, **_**I **_**don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."**

Mrs. Granger raised an eyebrow at that and then a sad look came over her face, which she quickly hid. Hermione wasn't trying to do the right thing and win this house cup, she knew her daughter, she wanted to make some friends. All of her life, kids have been mean to her because she's smart and because of strange things that happened around her that now they know they were 'accidental magic', and now that she was in a place where she was not a freak, she wanted to make friends.

"**Go away."**

"**All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so —"**

**But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a nighttime visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.**

"I hate when she does that" Sirius complained "She sees that we went out, she sees that we won't take long but still she has leave the portrait"

"You shouldn't be out of bed that hour so it's not really her fault" Lily snapped

"**Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly.**

"**That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."**

"Please tell me you're not going to follow them" Mr. Granger pleaded with his daughter.

**They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.**

"**I'm coming with you," she said.**

"Argh" Mr. Granger let out

"Actually that's the best option" Tonks said "If she keeps standing there waiting for the Fat Lady to show up, she may get caught by Filch and then she'll definitely get in trouble."

"And what if he appears in the middle of the school?" He said

"They can hide" She said "There are a lot of hiding places at Hogwarts

"**You are **_**not**_**."**

"**D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."**

"**You've got some nerve —" said Ron loudly.**

"**Shut up, both of you!" said Aura sharply. "I heard something."**

**It was a sort of snuffling.**

"**Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.**

"I hate that cat" Most of the students and ex-students exclaimed

**It wasn't Mrs. Norris. It was Neville. **

"What are you doing there?" Alice asked

**He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer.**

"**Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."**

"I'll have trouble with that" Neville sighed

"**Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."**

"**How's your arm?" said Aura.**

"**Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."**

"A minute?" Mrs. Granger asked

"Yeah, she has a spell…" Remus started but he didn't need to finish because she got

"Oh"

"**Good — well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later —"**

"**Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."**

**Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville.**

"**If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you."**

"Don't you dare threaten my daughter?" Mr. Granger yelled glaring at Ron with such a force that made him hide behind Charlie

"Relax, Mr. Granger. He's not threatening Hermione. It's like, you know, when your friend does something that pisses you off and you're not on the mood for that so you something like 'I am going to kill you' but you really don't. That's what it meant, wizards do that with curses too" Charlie said smoothly. Mr. Granger stared at him, narrowed his eyes but sat down again. He was still glaring at Ron, though.

When he saw it was safe, Ron went back to his seat and Charlie gave him a look that said 'I-saved-your-skin-you-own-me'

**Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies,**** but Aura hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward.**

**They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Aura expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room.**

**Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet.**

"Yet means that they won't come" Bill said "They just want you to get in trouble. Malfoy doesn't have the guts to duel"

**The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Aura took out her wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once.**

**The minutes crept by.**

"**He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered.**

**Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Aura had only just raised her wand when they heard someone speak — and it wasn't Malfoy.**

"**Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."**

"I hate how he talks to her as if she was human" Sirius said "And calls her sweet, she's as sweet as my mother"

**It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris. Horror-struck, Aura waved madly at the other three to follow her as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.**

"**They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding."**

"**This way!" Aura mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armor. They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armor. The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.**

"**RUN!" Aura yelled, and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following — they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Aura in the lead, without any idea where they were or where they were going — they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.**

"**I think we've lost him," Aura panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping her forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.**

"**I —**_**told **_— **you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I — told — you."**

"**We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible."**

"Good idea"

"**Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Aura. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you — Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."**

**Aura thought she was probably right, but she wasn't going to tell her that.**

Hermione rolled her eyes at that

"**Let's go."**

**It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.**

**It was Peeves.**

"Oh no, Peeves can help you sometimes on that situation but other times…" James said

**He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.**

"**Shut up, Peeves — please — you'll get us thrown out."**

"Never tell him that, it will just excite him even more" Frank said

**Peeves cackled.**

"**Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."**

"**Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."**

"**Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."**

"**Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves this was a big mistake.**

"He'll so tell Filch now" Fred said

"**STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"**

**Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door — and it was locked.**

"**This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!"**

**They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves's shouts.**

**She grabbed Aura's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, "**_**Alohomora**_**!"**

"Useful charm" Charlie nodded

**The lock clicked and the door swung open — they piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening.**

"Hummm, that's impressive Ms. Granger, and with Ms. Potter's wand, no least" Minerva said, the Grangers looked at her confused. She explained "A witch or a wizard works best with their own wand, so it's a bit more difficult to use another's wizard's wand. So it's impressive that she has done a charm we haven't studied yet with Potter's wand" As she finished, her parents beamed happily at Hermione.

"**Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."**

"**Say 'please.'"**

"**Don't mess with me, Peeves, now **_**where did they go**_**?"**

"**Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.**

"**All right —**_**please**_**."**

"**NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!"**

"You're lucky Peeves enjoys torturing Filch more than anything else" Sirius chuckled

**And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.**

"**He thinks this door is locked," Aura whispered. "I think we'll be okay — get **_**off**_**, Neville!"**

**For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Aura's bathrobe for the last minute. "**_**What**_**?"**

**Aura turned around — and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, she was sure she'd walked into a nightmare — this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far.**

**They weren't in a room, as she had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.**

McGonagall, Snape and Dumbledore exchanged a look at that.

**They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.**

"Fluffy" Hagrid whispered happily, but low so no one would hear him.

"Oh my god, get out of there" Alice, Mrs. Weasley, Lily and Mrs. Granger yelled and it echoed through the room as many people said it

**It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Aura knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.**

**Aura groped for the doorknob — between Filch and death, she'd take Filch.**

"Good choice" Charlie said

**They fell backward — Aura slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared — all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.**

"**Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.**

"**Never mind that — pig snout, pig snout," panted Aura, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.**

**It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.**

"At least you're safe" Bill said

"**What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."**

"Yeah, what were you thinking?" Mrs. Granger said

"I'm afraid I can't say anything, Mrs. Granger" Dumbledore said

**Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"**

"The floor, you got to look at the floor?" Ron asked

"**The floor?" Aura suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."**

"**No, **_**not **_**the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."**

**She stood up, glaring at them.**

"**I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed — or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."**

"I think you need to get your priorities straight" Sirius told her. Mr. and Mrs. Granger didn't like that either

**Ron stared after her, his mouth open.**

Mr. Granger didn't know why, he knew he shouldn't be worried about that yet, but that sentence gave him a weird feeling, as if he should be worried.

"**No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you."**

**But Hermione had given Aura something else to think about as she followed Hermione into the girl's dorm. The dog was guarding something… What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide — except perhaps Hogwarts.**

**It looked as though Aura had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.**

"See what I meant about Potters and mysteries?" Remus told Hagrid

"It's the end of the chapter" Lily said

"Oh, Can I read next?" Tiberius said

" 'Course" Lily gave him the book

* * *

YES! My laptop is working again, this is great. I can now update more often (Happy Dance!) Oh, my dear readers and reviewers if you would please be kind and read this down below and give your opinion on it that would be great I'll tell you what it is in my next update, but please answer honestly would this be a book you would read or not?

October 1, 1916

It was very cold and dark night, which I found weird it was only october first. What was that weird sound I kept hearing? It gave me the chills, Oh, I knew I should have asked Clarie's father to walk me home but it was only 10 minutes away from here it seemed stupid to ask to be walked home such a short distance.  
Only a couple of blocks away now, I thought as that horrible sound got louder what _was _it? It sounded like a animal dying. I turned the corner and saw a man on the ground, he was groaning and crying out in pain. "Sir?" I called "Are you ok?" Looking at this man I felt a chill go down my spine I ignored it and knelt down next to him "Sir?" I asked again softly this time, The man just coughed and groaned some more "I'm going to go get someone just hold on." I told him.  
I only got a few paces away before I felt something large and hairy grabbed my ankle and pulled me to the ground, I fell down with a soft _thump_ then I turned around and wished I hadn't above was a monster that looked like some horrible combination between a wolf and man, It lurched toward me just as I screamed, I stopped screaming as I felt it's teeth clamp around my throat.  
Slowly I started to- thankfully- pass out and I was glad that I wouldn't be conscious when the monster killed me, but before I passed out I noticed one last thing above us was a large, red, swollen ball in the sky

A harvest moon.


	11. Halloween

DC: You guys know the drill, nothing is mine blah, blah, blah. Now on with the show

"**Halloween,"** Tiberius read

**Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Aura and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful. **

"Ha, take that Malfoy." Aura said**  
**

**Indeed, by the next morning Aura and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one. **

"children" Lily sighed as did Mrs. Weasley "If I don't be careful I'll have another Dragon Chaser"

"That'd be good, if you want Ron I can try to find something for you after you graduate" Charlie winked at Ron, who let out an "Awesome" Mrs. Weasley glared at them

"Absolutely not"

**In the meantime, Aura filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection. **

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at that but told himself that there was no way two first-years would discover about the stone.

"**It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.**

"Or maybe it's both" James said

"**Or both," said Aura.**

"Cool! I think like Dad!" Aura grinned

under his breath Sirius muttered "That's not a good thing."**  
**

**But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues. **

**Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. **

"That's because they're smart" Lily said

**All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again. **

"That'd be nice" Neville said, he wasn't looking forward to seeing the dog.

**Hermione was now refusing to speak to Aura and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus. **

Hermione looked down at the floor, she was hoping Hogwarts would help her to fit in, but it looks like she was not going to be so lucky.

This comment earned both Aura and Ron glares from their mothers and Mr. Granger.

**All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later. **

**As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. Aura was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of her, knocking her bacon to the floor. **

"What is that?" James asked excitedly

**They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel. **

**Aura ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said: **

_**DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE. **_

_**It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, **_

"YES!"

_**but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session. **_

_**Professor McGonagall **_

"Minnie you are AWESOME" James said standing up to hug his old teacher again. McGonagall smiled but stopped him. After he calmed down, Lily smiled at her favorite teacher and whispered 'Thank you'

**Aura had difficulty hiding h****er glee as she handed the note to Ron to read. **

"**A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even **_**touched **_**one." **

"That's so cool" Neville agreed

**They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Aura and felt it.**

"**That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Aura with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them." **

"Yeah..

**Ron couldn't resist it. **

"**It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" **

"I can't believe you have a Nimbus Two Thousand" George said "It's the best, you're going to be great at the team"

"This will be our year" Fred agreed, Aura smiled in anticipation. James and Sirius grinned proudly.

**Ron grinned at Aura. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus." **

"Tell me about it" Tonks said "An Eleven years-old has an Nimbus and I'm still with the Comet. How unfair is that?" She huffed playfully

"**What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig." **

Mr. Weasley frowned at that, he did not like the fact that he couldn't give his children everything he wanted, and he had a feeling this would come up again in the future.

**Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow. **

"**Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked. **

"**Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.**

"That's not going to work, I must have told the staff so that there'd be no excuses." McGonagall said

"**Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Aura. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?" **

"**A Nimbus Two Thousand, it is," said Aura, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," she added. **

**Aura and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion. **

"**Well, it's true," Aura chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team…" **

"**So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Aura's hand.**

Hermione sighed lowly, how could she be so stupid? Well, not that she didn't think that because she did but that was not going to make them befriends her. What she was sure was what she was trying to do.

"**I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Aura. **

"**Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good."**

Mr. Granger growled, Ron turned red and bowed his head scared.

**Hermione marched away with her nose in the air. **

**Aura had a lot of trouble keeping her mind on her lessons that day. It kept wandering up to the dormitory where her new broomstick was lying under her bed, or straying off to the Quidditch field where she'd be learning to play that night. **

"We'll have to teach you how to play" James declared "That way when you go to Hogwarts you'll know what to expect"

**She bolted her dinner that evening without noticing what she was eating, and then rushed upstairs with Ron to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last. **

"**Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Ron's bedspread.(Aura had brought it to the boy's dorm, since boys aren't allowed in the girl's dorm.)  
**

**Even Aura, who knew nothing about the different brooms, thought it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top. **

The boys in the room all looked too excited. As the girls(Minus Aura and Tonks) rolled their eyes.

**As seven o'clock drew nearer, Aura left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field. She'd never been inside the stadium before. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end. They reminded Aura of the little plastic sticks Muggle children blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet high. **

"Muggle children blow bubbles?" Charlie said "Weird"

"That's interesting" Mr. Weasley said, he opened his mouth to ask more about but Mrs. Weasley sighed

"Not now, Arthur" That shut him up immediately and made everyone start laughing, even Snape cracked a little smile.

**Too eager to fly again to wait for Wood, Aura mounted her broomstick and kicked off from the ground. What a feeling — she swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever she wanted at her lightest touch. **

James and Sirius looked so excited that they were almost bouncing on their seat. Aura was grinning, she couldn't wait to fly.

"**Hey, Potter, come down!" **

**Oliver Wood had arrived. He was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Aura landed next to him. **

"**Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant… you really are a natural. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week." **

**He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls. **

"You play with four balls?" Mr. Granger asked "Wow"

"**Right," said Wood. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers." **

"I'm a Chaser" James exclaimed excitedly

"So am I" Frank decided to joke too.

"**Three Chasers," Aura repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a soccer ball. **

"**This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?" **

"It sounds like basketball with hoops" commented

"What's that?" Mr. Weasley asked curiously

"It's an sport…" Mr. Granger explained "Played by muggles. It's really simple, the…"

"David, honey, I don't think we need an speech about basketball" Mr. Granger said trying to hide her amusement, it's true that Hermione got the 'everything-has-to-be-perfect-do-I'll-discover-exactly-how-it-is' from her, but this way of making one-hour speeches about everything was from Mr. Granger who finds almost everything _fascinating. _

"**The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Aura recited. "So — that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?" **

"It looks like it really is like basketball" Mr. Weasley commented

"**What's basketball?" said Wood curiously. **

"**Never mind," said Aura quickly. **

"**Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper — I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring." **

"Now it sounds like football" Mr. Granger said

"**Three Chasers, one Keeper," said Aura, who was determined to remember it all. "And they play with the Quaffle. Okay, got that. So what are they for?" She pointed at the three balls left inside the box. **

"**I'll show you now," said Wood. "Take this." **

**He handed Aura a small club, a bit like a short baseball bat. **

"**I'm going to show you what the Bludgers do," Wood said. "These two are the Bludgers." **

**He showed Aura two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. Aura noticed that they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box. **

"**Stand back," Wood warned Aura. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers. **

"Why do I have a feeling that it is dangerous?" Mrs. Granger asked

"Because it is" Fred grinned

"Yeah, a hit in the head is a perfect ticket to the Hospital Wing" George added. Mrs. Granger paled.

"Fred, George" Mrs. Weasley scolded

"Relax, Mrs. Granger" McGonagall said as she glared at the boys "At Hogwarts, we do our best to keep that from happening, so I'm sure that if Miss Granger chooses to play she'll be safe"

"Yeah, mom, relax it's not like I'll ever be able to play anyway" Hermione assured her mother. "I already suck at sports with my feet on the ground, imagine flying"

**At once, the black ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at Aura's face. Aura swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking her nose, and sent it zigzagging away into the air — it zoomed around their heads and then shot at Wood, who dived on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground. **

"**See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team — the Weasley twins are ours — **

"You're any good?" James asked

"Yup. The Bests" Fred said

"We really rock" George said.

**it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team. So — think you've got all that?" **

"**Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goal posts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Aura reeled off. **

"**Very good," said Wood. **

"**Er — have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Aura asked, hoping she sounded offhand. **

"Not at Hogwarts" Frank said

"**Never at Hogwarts. We've had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you. And you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers —" **

"— **unless they crack my head open."**

Aura paled. George noticed that

"Relax, Aura, we won't let it get to you" He said. Aura gave him an nervous smile

"**Don't worry, the Weasleys are more than a match for the Bludgers — I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves."**

"Hey, I take offence to that" Fred said

"I'm not so sure about that…" George said "It'd be kind of cool to be a Bludger"

"You have a point" Fred laughed

**Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings. **

"_**This**_**," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. **

**That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages — I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the players could get some sleep. **

"**Well, that's it any questions?" **

**Aura shook her head. She understood what she had to do all right, it was doing it that was going to be the problem.**

"Relax, I wouldn't put on the team if I wasn't sure you could do it" McGonagall said

"**We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "it's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these." **

**He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Aura were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Aura to catch. **

**Aura didn't miss a single one, **

"That's my girl" James said proudly

**and Wood was delighted. After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on. **

"**That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year," said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."**

"Humm, maybe I should give you some tips then" Charlie grinned

**Perhaps it was because she was now so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all her homework, but Aura could hardly believe it when she realized that she'd already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive ever had. **

"I'd bet" Lily murmured

**Her lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.**

**On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. **

**Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Aura's partner was Seamus Finnigan (which was a relief, because Neville had been trying to catch her eye).**

**Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. **

Mr. Granger frowned, he did not have a good feeling about that.

**It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this.**

Now, he was satisfied, she wasn't happy to be with him. He hoped it would stay like that.

**She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Aura's broomstick had arrived.**

"**Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor**

**Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too — never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."**

**It was very difficult. **

**Aura and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it — Aura put it out with her hat, after she finished glaring at Seamus for singeing her hair.  
**

"It sounds dangerous" Mrs. Granger said.

"Oh, it's not. It's just that some people have some accidents. But that's why they are there. Believe me, if they did not train the results would be disastrous" Remus said

**Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.**

"**Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.**

"**You're saying it wrong," Aura heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."**

"**You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.**

"Bad move" Bill said "Only dare someone to do it, if you know they'll fail…"

**Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"**

**Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.**

"**Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"**

Mr. Mrs. Granger were smiling proudly. Hermione was beaming

**Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class.**

"**It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Aura as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."**

That made her smile fade. Mrs. Weasley glared at Ron, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Granger. Ron looked ashamed

**Someone knocked into Aura as they hurried past her. It was Hermione. Aura caught a glimpse of her face — and was startled to see that she was in tears.**

Mr. Granger was now very red in the face, if he was a wizard Ron would already be on fire. Hermione cursed herself, why did she have to be so emotional, now her father would want to kill Ron and she knew that wouldn't end up well.

"**I think she heard you."**

"**So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."**

"Ronald" Mrs. Weasley snarled, Mr. Wealsey looked disappointed and everyone looked tense, ready for an explosion from the parents

**Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Aura and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone. **

Mr. Granger couldn't take it, he stood up and started yelling "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" He knew it might seem like on overreaction but all of Hermione's life, she had been made fun of and said as the 'weirdo' just because there was something in her that was different and adding the fact that she was smarter than most people her age just made it worst. That facts made him super protective over her and hearing that a boy was making her _cry._ This was suppose to be her fresh start, her change to be normal.

"YOU CAN'T MAKE MY GIRL CRY LIKE THAT?" He shouted, Ron backed away hiding himself behind Bill. "OH, YOU…"

Suddenly something big dropped from the blue portal above them.

It was a woman, she looked 24 or 25, with sleek brown hair and warm chocolate brown eyes. Actually, Mrs. Granger thought as she looked at the mystery woman, She looks alot like Hermione.

The stranger looked at Mr. Granger and sighed "Dad stop it," She said "Ron is just being Ron he can't help it."

Mr. Granger blinked "Hermione?" he asked, she nodded "But your grown up." he said

Hermione smiled at her dad " Yeah I am, I just came from the future. The year 2005 to be excact, Dad please don't be mad at Ron he's only 11 and I admit I wasn't very nice either." she said

"But he-" "I know dad but like I said before Ron's Ron." Hermione paused then said "I think i'll stay for the rest of the chapter ." Then without waiting for an answer she went and sat down next to her younger self.

Tiberius got over his shock at seeing someone from the future then contiuned to read

**Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds.**

Mr. Granger couldn't help but glare at them.

While _Hermione_ rolled her eyes and muttered "Typical."

**A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.**

**Aura was just helping herself to a baked potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll — in the dungeons — thought you ought to know."**

"A Troll? They exist?" Mrs. Granger paled, this was not a good sign.

**He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.**

**There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.**

"**Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"**

**Percy was in his element.**

"Of course"

"**Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"**

"**How could a troll get in?" Aura asked as they climbed the stairs.**

"That's a good question" Remus said

"**Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."**

**They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Aura suddenly grabbed Ron's arm.**

"**I've just thought — Hermione."**

"Oh, no" Mrs. Granger gasped

"Don't worry mum, i'm fine." _Hermione _soothed her mom

"**What about her?"**

"**She doesn't know about the troll."**

**Ron bit his lip.**

"**Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy'd better not see us."**

Mr. Granger raised his eyebrows at this, they were really going to save her?

**Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girls' bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.**

"**Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Aura behind a large stone griffin.**

**Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.**

"**What's he doing?" Aura whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"**

"Yes, what are you doing?" James asked suspiciously

"I don't know" Snape stated "Maybe I'm going to handle the Troll"

"**Search me."**

**Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps.**

"**He's heading for the third floor," Aura said, but Ron held up his hand.**

"**Can you smell something?"**

**Aura sniffed and a foul stench reached her nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean.**

**And then they heard it — a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed — at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.**

**It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.**

Mrs. Granger shuddered at the thought of it going after Hermione.

**The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room.**

"**The keys in the lock," Aura muttered. "We could lock it in."**

_Hermione_ smacked Aura in the back of the head lightly "Aura that was the _girl's_ bathroom, seriously."

Aura blushed "Sorry Hermiones."

"**Good idea," said Ron nervously.**

**They edged toward the open door, mouths dry, praying the troll wasn't about to come out of it. With one great leap, Aura managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.**

"**Yes!"**

"No!"

**Flushed with their victory, they started to run back up the passage, but as they reached the corner they heard something that made their hearts stop — a high, petrified scream — and it was coming from the chamber they'd just chained up.**

Everybody paled by that, they did not know what to expect, the girl's life was on the hands of two first years.

_Hermione _sighed "I'm perfectly fine, really it was years ago. Stop worrying."

"**Oh, no," said Ron, pale as the Bloody Baron.**

"**It's the girls' bathroom!" Aura gasped. How could she have forgotten that?  
**

"**Hermione!" they said together.**

**It was the last thing they wanted to do, but what choice did they have? **

**Wheeling around, they sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic. Aura pulled the door open and they ran inside.**

**Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went. **

"Oh, dear" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed

"**Confuse it!" Aura said desperately to Ron, and, seizing a tap, she threw it as hard as she could against the wall.**

**The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Aura. It hesitated, then made for her instead, lifting its club as it went.**

"**Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Aura time to run around it.**

"There's no way you can handle it, run" Charlie said

"**Come on, run, run!" Aura yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror.**

_Hermione _blushed "I always freeze up when theres danger," she said _Well,_ she thought, _not anymore anyway, but I see no reason to tell everyone that so..._

**The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.**

**Aura then did something that was both very brave and very stupid:**

Lily groaned, if she was anything like James…

**She took a great running jump and managed to fasten her arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll couldn't feel Aura hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Aura's wand had still been in her hand when she'd jumped – it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.**

"Are you crazy?" Lily sheriked

**Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Aura clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip her off or catch her a terrible blow with the club.**

**Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand — not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"**

"Why the hell are you doing an spell you can't do?" Sirius said

**The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, **

"Looks like he did it after all" Bill said a but amused of how his little brother learned the spell because of a girl…

_Hermione _smiled

**turned slowly over — and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.**

**Aura got to her feet. She was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done.**

**It was Hermione who spoke first.**

"**Is it — dead?"**

"Probably not" Fabian said

"**I don't think so," said Aura, "I think it's just been knocked out."**

**She bent down and pulled her wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy gray glue.**

"Eww"

"**Urgh — troll boogers."**

**She wiped it on the troll's trousers.**

**A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.**

"How can a teacher that is suppose to help them defend themselves be so scared?" Frank said

**Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and Aura. Aura had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white. **

**Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from Aura's mind.**

"You almost died and that's what on your mind?" Alice shook her head

"**What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Aura looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"**

McGonagall frowned at that, she had a feeling they'd lie to her, and she hates when that happen.

**Snape gave Aura a swift, piercing look. Aura looked at the floor. She wished Ron would put his wand down.**

**Then a small voice came out of the shadows.**

"**Please, Professor McGonagall — they were looking for me."**

"I can't believe this" Some people exclaimed

"You're actually lying to a teacher?" Mr. Granger exclaimed, that's something he never thought he'd see his daughter do. Other had similar reactions;

"Of course, I couldn't let those two get in trouble right after saving me." _Hermione _explained

"Wow, that's a new one" Sirius said. Hermione looked at McGonagall to see if she was mad, but the woman only had a frown on her face, she did not like it but she could understand what the girl was feeling.

"**Miss Granger!"**

**Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.**

"**I went looking for the troll because I — I thought I could deal with it on my own — you know, because I've read all about them."**

**Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?**

People laughed at Ron's reaction.

"**If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Aura stuck her wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."**

**Aura and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them.**

"You two didn't succed" _Hermione_ laughed

"**Well — in that case…" said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"**

**Hermione hung her head. Aura was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.**

People laughed again at that, expect for Snape who did not find it funny at all and the Hermiones who hated to break the rules.

"You have one weird sense of humor, Aura" Tonks said

"**Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."**

"You know, she must like you, Hermione" Sirius commented. Hermione looked at him intrigued

"What?"

"She was easy on you" He explained "Usually Minnie's more severe. She was easy on you"

**Hermione left.**

**Professor McGonagall turned to Aura and Ron.**

"**Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."**

**They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.**

"**We should have gotten more than ten points," Ron grumbled.**

"That's true" Dumbledore said "It's quite impressive for two first years to beat a Troll"

Mrs. Weasley and Lily looked proud but did not show since they were not proud of the fact they had hurt Hermione.

"**Five, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's."**

"**Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we did save her."**

Mr. Granger glared

"**She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Aura reminded him.**

He nodded agreeing, he wanted to add that she wouldn't need saving if they hadn't been mean to her in first place, but he knew Hermione could be stubborn and this comment would make her upset with him.

**They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.**

"**Pig snout," they said and entered.**

**The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.**

**But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. **

"What?" Mr. Granger exclaimed "Just like that"

**There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.**

He sighed, they had a point. Both Hermiones gave him a look. He sighed again;

"Kids," he said. Aura and Ron looked at each other and then at him "I'm sorry, I overreacted. I was just trying to protect my little girl. I hope you understand"

"We do, sir" The two children chorused. Ron's older brothers tried not to laugh at how pathetic their brother looked

"Thanks for saving her life" David said. Hermione stood up and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Daddy"

"It's ok" Mr. Granger said but then his expression changed "But if you ever make her cry again, I'm going to make you regret it!"

Aura and Ron backed away, Hermione cried "DAD" and the rest of the room laughed at the scene

"Well I bett-" _Hermione _tried to say but was interruppted when another person fell from the portal.

This person was another girl though she looked younger than _Hermione, _maybe around 18 or 19. She had very pale skin- the kind that never tanned- she was small probaly wouldn't reach James's shoulder, her eyes were large and blue. And her two most prominent features were her bum-length hair was a silvery-white color which shined like Dumbledore's hair, and the large bluge coming out from her stomach showing she was pregant, maybe 6 or 7 months.

"Aura!" _Hermione _exclaimed and rushed over to the girl "What are you doing here are you crazy?" she yelled

_Aura _scowled then said "What do you think I'm doing here, I want to read with everyone else."

Dumbledore smiled then rose to greet their new guest "Aurora, I'm glad to see your doing well, of course you can join our in reading."

_Aura _smiled "Thank you, Professer." then she glanced at the seats "Sirius move, I want to sit on the couch."

Sirius and _Aura got into a_ little agrument which Sirius lost. When everyone was settled _Hermione _picked up the book

"I'll read, the next chapter is called **Quiddtch**." James and all the other quiddtch lovers cheered


	12. Quiddtch

Okay to anyone who wants to know about Aura's hair and why it's silver I have only one thing to say about that: It's for me to know and for you guys to find out.

* * *

DC: Nothing is mine.

"**Quiddi-**" _Hermione _read before she was interruppted

"Wait! I have a question, Aura what is up with your hair?It's silver. What happend to the red?" Sirius asked

_Aura _frowned at Sirius "Nothing," she said

"Bu-" "It's nothing important Sirius," _Hermione _quickly lied "It was a transfiguration accident a couple years ago and _Aura _claims she is too lazy to fix it. So she just leaves it like that."

_Aura _shrugged "I _am _to lazy to fix it, besides I like it, now can we get back to the book please?"

"One more question," Sirius grinned "Who's the lucky guy?" he asked, nodding toward _Aura's _stomach "My boyfriend." she said

Lily blinked "Boyfriend? You two are doing _it_? and your not even married?" she asked, James grew red in the face at the thought of any boy doing it with his little girl, and her being married to someone, he shuddered, Nope, he thought, she's never getting married, not if I have anything to do about it!

_Aura _shrugged again "He's tried asking several times but he always get's innterupted by either certain people-" a pointed look at Hermione and Ron "-or someone comes up asking for my autograph, or something like that. He's all but given upon asking by now, and Sirius who he is is none of your concern. _Hermione _please read now."

**"Quidditch."** _Hermoine_ read, as shouts of 'Yeahh' echoed through the room from most boys.

**As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaverskin boots.**

**The Quidditch season had begun. **

More cheering came from mostly James, Sirius, Tonks, Tiberius and the Twins

**On Saturday, Aura would be playing in her first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. **

"That's always a classical" Charlie said

"Why?" Mr. Granger asked

"Well…" Remus said "As you know Gryffindors and Slytherins hate each other but it's against the school rules to hex each other…"

"Even through most people just ignore that" James chuckled

"So they take out the… anger in the Quidditch pitch" Remus finished

"In other words, it's the most violent game" Sirius translated, receiving a glare from his friend.

**If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship.**

**Hardly anyone had seen Aura play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Aura**** should be kept, well, secret. But the news that she was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, **

"That'd because there's no way you can keep a secret at Hogwarts, especially when it's something about Quidditch" Tiberius said

**and Aura didn't know which was worse — people telling her she'd be brilliant or people telling her they'd be running around underneath her holding a mattress.**

"Why would you feel bad about people saying you'll do great?" Percy asked, not understanding Aura's philosophy

"Because if I do bad, they'll be disappointed" Aura explained, _Aura _nodded in agreement

**It was really lucky that Aura now had Hermione as a friend. She didn't know how she'd have gotten through all her homework without her, **

"So that's why your my friend?" _Hermione _asked

"Yup." _Aura _answered with a cheeky grin.

**what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also lent her Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read.**

"The only book worth reading" Sirius said. The Hermiones and Remus shook their heads.

**Aura learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473; that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.**

"You know, Hermione, I'm glad you don't like sports" Mrs. Granger said

**Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Aura and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it.**

Some people chuckled, Mr. Granger even found it amusing until Tonks laughed

"I think you two may be a bad influence on her" This sentence took all of the amusement on him, especially because he knew that she was nicer for it because she just wanted friends.

**The day before Aura's first Quidditch match the three of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar.**

"Humm, that's impressive" McGonagall said, she wasn't happy that a student with so much potential was being corrupted much like Remus Lupin but still she couldn't deny the girl was talented.

**They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. **

"Great, come and spoil the fun" Sirius sighed.

**Aura noticed at once that Snape was limping. Aura, Ron, and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. **

"It is not" Snape said

**Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a**** reason to tell them off anyway.**

"**What's that you've got there, Potter?"**

**It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Aura showed him.**

"**Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."**

"That's not a rule" Lily glared at Snape. How could her childhood friend be somean to her daughter? she wondered

"**He's just made that rule up," Aura muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"**

"I hope it's hurting him" George muttered

"George" Mrs. Weasley scolded

"**Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.**

"Ronald" Mrs. Weasley said unhappily. George laughed and high-fived his younger brother. Mrs Weasley turned to him

"Look at the example you're giving your brother" She huffed but the boys just ignored.

**The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Aura, Ron, and Hermione sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Aura and Ron's Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.**

"You know, James, she's kind of reminding me of someone" Sirius grinned

"Yeah, another know-it-all, that has been corrupted by his best friends" James grinned too.

"Wonder who it might be" Sirius said, as Remus rolled his eyes and the Hermiones blushed.

**Aura felt restless. She wanted Quidditch Through the Ages back, to take her mind off her nerves about tomorrow. Why should she be afraid of Snape? **

"Well one reason to be afraid is he's got that glare of his. Hey there it is!" Tiberius said grinning and seeming unaffected by Snape's glare which was directed right at him.

Percy rolled his eyes "Something that is really scary Tiberius, is that your actually _grinning _at Professer Snape while he is glaring at you."

**Getting up, she told Ron and Hermione she was going to ask Snape if she could have it.**

"**Better you than me," they said together, **

"You two are the best, you know?" _Aura _sarcastically told _Hermione_

**but Aura had an idea that Snape wouldn't refuse if there were other teachers listening.**

**She made her way down to the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again. Nothing.**

**Perhaps Snape had left the book in there? It was worth a try. She pushed the door ajar and peered inside – and a horrible scene met her eyes.**

**Snape and Filch were inside, alone. **

"Oh, the horror" Fred and George covered their eyes joking, people laughed. Snape glared at them.

**Snape was holding his robes above his knees. **

"Eww…" The twins and Tiberius exclaimed "Snape and Filch are having an affair… how disgusting"

"HOW DARE YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?" Snape yelled.

"Aww. C'mon, Snivelly. Just because you're gay it doesn't mean you have to yell" Sirius said in a baby voice as half-glared at Snape, who stood up and yelled

"I'm not gay and even if I was I wasn't the one who betrayed my best friend" By this time, Sirius had already stood up as well. They were facing each other. Wands on each other's face. McGonagall stood up

"Mr. Black, Mr. Snape" She exclaimed. "I can't believe that you are acting like silly school boys. You have to learn how to out your grudge aside and act like mature adults. You have to set a good example for the kids"

Sirius let out a smile "It's been a while since I last received a lecture from Minnie" He said. McGonagall blushed. Snape half-groaned and half-sighed, thought it shouldn't surprise him. Black and his gang always get away…

"Er… I think It's best to keep reading" _Hermione_ announced awkwardly.

**One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages.**

"**Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"**

James wanted to ask why he was trying to pass through the dog but since the atmosphere was still tense from Sirius's last 'argument' he preferred not risk it.

**Aura tried to shut the door quietly, but —**

"**POTTER!"**

**Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg. Aura gulped.**

"**I just wondered if I could have my book back."**

"**GET OUT! OUT! "**

**Aura left, before Snape could take any more points from Gryffindor. She sprinted back upstairs.**

"**Did you get it?" Ron asked as Aura joined them. "What's the matter?"**

**In a low whisper, Aura told them what he'd seen.**

"**You know what this means?" she finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him — he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"**

"That sounds about right" Sirius muttered.

_Aura _muttered to _Hermione _"I'm really glad I didn't make that bet." _Hermione _laughed in response.

**Hermione's eyes were wide.**

"**No — he wouldn't," she said. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."**

"I'm not trying to steal anything" Snape protested

"**Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Aura. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"**

**Aura went to bed with her head buzzing with the same question. Lavender was snoring, but Aura couldn't sleep. She tried to empty her mind — she needed to sleep, she had to, she had her first Quidditch match in a few hours – but the expression on Snape's face when Aura had seen his leg wasn't easy to forget.**

**The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.**

"**You've got to eat some breakfast."**

"**I don't want anything."**

"**Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.**

"She's right, Aura" Lily said "You should eat"

"_Aura _never eats when she's nervous." _Hermione _said.

"**I'm not hungry."**

**Aura felt terrible. In an hour's time she'd be walking onto the field.**

"**Aura, you need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."**

"That helps a lot" Aura said sarcastically.

"**Thanks, Seamus," said Aura, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.**

"Who eats ketchup in breakfast?" Mrs. Granger asked "It's gross and unhealthy"

**By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.**

"I love these days" Tonks commented

"Yeah, everybody seems so cheerful" Charlie agreed.

**Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Aura, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. **

"That's so sweet" Lily smiled at two kids, that were smiling as well. Mrs. Weasley nodded approvingly.

"It was nice."

**It said Potter for President, and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors.**

McGonagall smiled at how brightly Hermione was.

**Meanwhile, in the locker room, Aura and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green).**

**Wood cleared his throat for silence.**

"**Okay, men," he said.**

"**And women," said Chaser Angelina Johnson.**

"Oh, It's Angie" George said

"Who's that?" Sirius smirked "Your girlfriend"

"Not really" George grinned, he quite liked Angelina but they weren't there…

"**And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."**

"**The big one," said Fred Weasley.**

"**The one we've all been waiting for," said George.**

The Twins grinned as Charlie laughed. "I don't know why Captains insist on doing the same speech. It gets boring"

"I don't know why you're saying that" Bill rolled his eyes "A little bird told me you used to do the same thing"

"Oh, well"

"**We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Aura, "we were on the team last year."**

"**Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it."**

**He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else."**

Tonks chuckled "The 'or else' thing is so old"

"**Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."**

**Aura followed Fred and George out of the locker room and, hoping her knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the field to loud cheers.**

**Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.**

"**Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. **

"Gryffindor and Slytherin, fair" James snorted "Yeah, right"

**Aura noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a sixth year. Aura thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him. **

"He gets it from his father" Frank said "Was an year above me. Hate that man"

**Out ****of the corner of her eye she saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing Potter for President over the crowd. Her heart skipped. She felt braver.**

Aura smiled, it would indeed help her.

"**Mount your brooms, please."**

**Aura clambered onto her Nimbus Two Thousand.**

**Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.**

**Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.**

"**And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor — what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too —"**

Some people chuckled

"That's our mate. Lee" George said

"He seems funny" Sirius said

"Of course, he is. If he wasn't he'd not hang out with us" Fred said

"**JORDAN!"**

"**Sorry, Professor."**

"Aww, Minnie, don't be such a spoil sport" Sirius said

"You don't know it's me" Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Who else could it be?"

**The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.**

"See" Sirius smiled smugly.

"**And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve — back to Johnson and — no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes — Flint flying like an eagle up there — he's going to sc— no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle — that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and — OUCH — that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger — Quaffle taken by the Slytherins — that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger — sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which — nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes — she's really flying — dodges a speeding Bludger — the goal posts are ahead — come on, now, Angelina — Keeper Bletchley dives — misses — GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"**

"YEAH" The Gryffindors in the room cheered. Even the newest ones, Neville, Ron, Aura and to her parents amusement Hermione, though she didn't look as enthusiastic as the others.

**Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.**

"**Budge up there, move along."**

"**Hagrid!"**

**Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them.**

"**Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"**

"**Nope," said Ron. "Aura hasn't had much to do yet."**

"Weird, that's not from my point of view" Aura commented. Not that she minded much, she had a bad feeling that everyone hearing her thoughts is bound to get her in trouble.

_Aura _sighed "Don't worry it will go back to our point of view soon."

Aura groaned

"**Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Aura  
**

**Way up above them, Aura was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of her and Wood's game plan.**

"**Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be."**

"That's a good plan" Lily said

"Yes" James agreed "Especially since she's younger and if she gets hurt…" He started to blab but Lily gave him a look that said 'Don't-talk-about-her-getting-hurt-so-calmly-as-if-it's-nothing' so he stopped talking. Better not get into Lily's wrong side.

_Hermione _rolled her eyes Aura Potter not getting hurt or in some other kind trouble while playing qudditch? Never!

**When Angelina had scored, Aura had done a couple of loop-the-loops to let off her feelings. Now she was back to staring around for the Snitch. Once she caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasleys' wristwatches, **

"Maybe we should stop wearing them at the matches" George mused.

"Though, it can also confound the other team" Fred said.

**and once a Bludger decided to come pelting her way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Aura dodged it and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.**

"**All right there, Aura?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint.**

"**Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the — wait a moment — was that the Snitch?"**

**A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.**

**Aura saw it. In a great rush of excitement she dived downward after the streak of gold. **

"Yes, Go Aura" Sirius cheered.

**Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch — all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.**

**Aura was faster than Higgs — she could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead — she put on an extra spurt of speed —**

**WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below — Marcus Flint had blocked Aura on purpose, and Aura's broom spun off course, Aura holding on for dear life.**

"That's horrible" Mrs. Granger exclaimed "They're in mid-air, she could've died"

"**Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.**

**Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.**

"He should have been given a red card" Mr. Granger exclaimed

"A what?" Bill asked confused

"It's used in another muggle game, football. When a player do something that is against the rules he receives a red card and is excluded from the game." Mr. Granger explained

"Fascinating" Mr. Weasley exclaimed

"If we used that on Quidditch professional games, in the end there'd be just a couple of players" James said

"Yeah, but maybe that'd make them follow the rules" Tonks said

"Perhaps"

**Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"**

Some people chuckled, as Mr. Granger looked surprised.

"**What are you talking about, Dean?" said Ron.**

"**Red card!" said Dean furiously. "In football you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"**

"**But this isn't football, Dean," Ron reminded him.**

"Still, it would be better" Mr. Granger tried not to glare at the boy.

**Hagrid, however, was on Dean's side.**

"**They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Aura outta the air."**

"Yes" Mr. Granger nodded.

**Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.**

"**So — after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating —"**

"I like that guy" James said

"Yeah, almost as good as Moony" Sirius agreed, as Tonks looked at Remus surprised

"You used to narrate the game?" Remus chuckled

"Never been that much of a player but I liked to watch so in my fourth year when our previous narrator graduated I applied for the job" He explained

"He was hilarious" Sirius said "Some people started going to the game just to hear what he'd say"

"I was one of them" Lily smiled "It was really funny"

"**Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.**

"**I mean, after that open and revolting foul…"**

"**Jordan, I'm warning you—"**

People laughed

"He sure is brave" Remus laughed

"**All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."**

**It was as Aura dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past her head, that it happened. Her broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. **

"Oh great! What else?" Lily exclaimed

"A bunch of Dementors will invade the field and make Aura fall off her broom" Ron joked, but Lily's eyes widen. Mrs. Weasley exclaimed

"Ronald"

"What? I was just kidding!" Ron protested

"You don't kid with something like that" Mrs. Weasley huffed as she turned to Lily "Relax my dear, that will never happen"

_Hermione and Aura_ looked at each other and thought the same thing, Do the Wealseys have seer blood in them?

"I'll ask Ron when we get back," _Hermione _whispered

**For a split second, she thought she was going to fall. She gripped the broom tightly with both her hands and knees. She'd never felt anything like that.**

**It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck her off. **

"Her broom is being cursed" Sirius declared

"Why would someone want to curse a eleven-years-old broom?" Tonks asked

"You can never trust people" Fabian said

**But Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Aura tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal-posts — she had half a mind to ask Wood to call time-out — and then she realized that her broom was completely out of her control. She couldn't turn it. She couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated her.**

"eep."**  
**

**Lee was still commentating.**

"**Slytherin in possession — Flint with the Quaffle — passes Spinnet — passes Bell — hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose — only joking, Professor — Slytherins score — A no…"**

**The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Aura's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying her slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.**

Aura frowned at that, was her broom really cursed or was her just being stupid?

_Aura _frowned. stupid Quirell, she thought

"**Dunno what Aura thinks she's doing," Hagrid mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn' know better, I'd say she'd lost control of her broom… but she can't have…"**

**Suddenly, people were pointing up at Aura all over the stands. Her broom had started to roll over and over, with her only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Aura's broom had given a wild jerk and Aura swung off it. **

Lily gave a little squeak of fear.**  
**

**She was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.**

"**Did something happen to it when Flint blocked her?" Seamus whispered.**

"Impossible, the broom is for professionals" Bill said "It can handle a lot more than that"

"**Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic — no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."**

**At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Aura, she started looking frantically at the crowd.**

"**What are you doing?" moaned Ron, gray-faced.**

"**I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape — look."**

The room-except the time travellers- turned to glare at Snape who told them,

"I may hate Potter, but i'd never try to kill a child."

**Ron grabbed the binoculars. Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Aura and was muttering nonstop under his breath.**

"What do you have to say about that?" Sirius asked

"I can be trying to protect the broom from someone who's actually trying to jinx it" Snape argued.

"**He's doing something — jinxing the broom," said Hermione.**

"**What should we do?"**

"**Leave it to me."**

"Oh, dear god. What are you going to do?" Mrs. Granger asked. She knew every well that Hermione doesn't like to break the rules but if it's to save someone she cares about, then she'll do the impossible.

_Hermione _figeted for a momment then groaned "Oh, let's just get this over with."

**Before Ron could say another word, Hermione had disappeared. Ron turned the binoculars back on Aura. Her broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for her to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Aura safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good – every time they got near her, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath her, obviously hoping to catch her if she fell. **

Aura gave the twins a faint smile "Thanks guys." They smiled back through they were rather pale at the momment.**  
**

**Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.**

"Stupid git" Hagrid protested "Aura's going to die and he's 'orried about thy 'ame"

"**Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.**

**Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front. **

Remus raised an eyebrow, why would Quirrell be mentioned in a time like that? Something must be going on…

**Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes.**

**It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire.**

"YOU PUT MY ROBES ON FIRE?" Snape yelled

"I'm…" Hermione was about to say she was sorry, but then it crossed her mind that he was trying to kill Aura so she closed her mouth and tried to look as if she didn't care.

"Don't you dare yell at my daughter" Mr. Granger growled. Snape sighed, why was everybody blaming him, he hates the girl, yes. He hates her father, godfather and the werewolf that he was sure that soon would be known as 'Uncle Moony' he tried to hide his gag. But still, he wouldn't try to kill her, she was still Lily's daughter.

After everyone stopped glaring at Snape, _Hermione _mouthed to him _Sorry Professer._ Snape raised an eyebrow at the gesture but didn't say anything.

**A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row — Snape would never know what had happened.**

"Think again" Snape said.

**It was enough. Up in the air, Aura was suddenly able to clamber back on to her broom.**

"**Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.**

Alice hugged her son, he was so sweet.

**Aura was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw her clap her hand to her mouth as though she was about to be sick — she hit the field on all fours — coughed — and something gold fell into her hand.**

"You almost swallowed the Snitch" James said incredulous.

"**I've got the Snitch!" she shouted, waving it above her head, and the game ended in complete confusion.**

"**She didn't catch it, she nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference — Aura hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results — Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. Aura heard none of this, though. **

"What? Why?" James protested "It's your first Quidditch victory, you should celebrate"

"She was almost killed" Lily glared at him

"Oh, right"

**She was being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron and Hermione.**

"**It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."**

"**Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"**

"Thank you" Snape muttered

**Aura, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. ****Aura decided on the truth.**

"**I found out something about him," she told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."**

**Hagrid dropped the teapot.**

"**How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.**

Remus chuckled "Should've known it was yours"

"**Fluffy?"**

"**Yeah — he's mine — bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year — I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the —"**

"**Yes?" said Aura eagerly.**

McGonagall shook her head, Hagrid always talked too much.

"**Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."**

"That's just going to make them try to discover what it is" Lily said

"**But Snape's trying to steal it."**

"**Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."**

"**So why did he just try and kill Aura?" cried Hermione.**

**The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed her mind about Snape.**

"**I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"**

"That's also what you do when you're trying to fight the jinx, you foolish child" Snape exclaimed unhappily, the room glared at him. Most people liked Hermione a lot better than him and did not like to see him treating her like that.

"**I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Aura's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh — yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel —"**

"Oh, Hagrid." McGonagall sighed. Hagrid blushed, damn him and his bog mouth

"**Aha!" said Aura, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"**

**Hagrid looked furious with himself.**

"It's finished" _Hermione_ said

"Well, we should eat now" Sirius said "Since I suppose you won't explain what's the stone doing at Hogwarts, right?" He glanced at Hogwarts staff who shook their heads.

And you two won't be telling us anything either right?"

_Hermione and Aura _shook their heads

"Well, then Let's eat"


	13. The mirror of Erised

DC: Nothing is mine!

They ate a lunch prepared by Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Granger who enjoyed talking about their children, just as Mr. Weasley and Mr. Granger enjoyed discussing the difference in the muggle and the wizardry world. Meanwhile, Aura was trying to find out everything she could about her parents, as was Neville. Tonks was talking with Remus. Bill, Charlie and Percy were telling Hermione about Hogwarts and they found they quite liked the girl. Ron, Tiberius and the twins were chatting with Sirius who was bragging about the pranks the marauders pulled at Hogwarts. The professors and Hagrid sat at an excluded corner at the table and were quietly discussing what to do about the stone, they hoped the kids would not find out about this. And _Hermione _was trying to calm down a tearful _Aura_ who wanted her boyfriend to come back into the past and give her a foot massage and saying she wanted to eat Swiss choclate and Swedish meatballs instead of the lunch Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Granger made.(_Aura _suffers from a severe case of mood swings and food cravings during her pregnacy)_  
_

As lunch ended, Bill picked up the book and said "Can I read?" As a chorus of 'yeah' and 'yes' reached him, he started reading

**"The Mirror of Erised,"**

"What's that?" Hermione asked

"I've read about it, it's a mirror that shows what you wish the most" Remus said.

_Aura _sighed sadly she really didn't want to hear about that mirror again.

**Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. **

The twins high-fived. Mrs. Weasley shook her head

"Why must you do that?"

"It's fun" They grinned at her.

**The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again. No one could wait for the holidays to start. **

**While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.**

"**I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."**

"Actually, Christmas at Hogwarts is awesome" Sirius said "Much better than at my house"

**He was looking over at Aura as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled. Aura, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them. Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Aura as Seeker next. **

"Idiot" Hagrid grunted

_Hermione_ shook her head "I still don't get that."

**Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Aura had managed to stay on her bucking broomstick. So Malfoy, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Aura about having no proper family.**

"I hate him" James declared

**It was true that Aura wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas. Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Aura had signed up at once. She didn't feel sorry for herself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas she'd ever had. Ron and his brothers were staying, too, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie.**

"Cool, I can show you the dragons" Charlie said happily, Mrs. Weasley paled.

**When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.**

"**Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches.**

Mrs. Weasley beamed, he was being polite;

"**Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."**

"**Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoy's cold drawl from behind them. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose — that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."**

The Weasleys looked angry at that, as did most in the room.

**Ron dived at Malfoy just as Snape came up the stairs.**

"**WEASLEY!" **

**Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes.**

"Great, you'll side with the ferret" Sirius groaned.

"**He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."**

"Yeah! You tell him, Hagrid" The twins cheered.

"**Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."**

"Malfoy was in the fight too, why don't you take points off Slytherin?" Mrs. Granger said, Snape ignored her.

"Because, he's unfair" Bill glared at his ex-professor.

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking.**

"**I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him —"**

"Go Ron!" Fred cheered.

"I can't believe you're encouraging your brother to get into fights" Mrs. Weasley glared at Fred;

"He's talking dirt about our family, he deserves a punch in his ferret face" Fred protested, Mrs. Weasley gave him a look. Bill decided that it would be better to start reading, though he agreed with his little brother completely

"**I hate them both," said Aura, "Malfoy and Snape."**

"Hear, Hear" The twins and Tiberius cheered.

"**Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."**

"Hogwarts at Christmas is one of the most beautiful sighs!" Alice sighed, most ex-students nodded.

**So the three of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations.**

"**Ah, Hagrid, the last tree — put it in the far corner, would you?"**

**The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.**

"It really sounds beautiful" Mrs. Granger sighed.

"**How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked.**

"**Just one," said Hermione. **

Mrs. Granger beamed "You're coming home for Christmas"

"**And that reminds me — Aura, Ron, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."**

"Huh? Library?" Most people looked confused

"**Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree.**

"Wow, you'll get Aura and Ron to go to the library, you're amazing" Charlie exclaimed. Hermione blushed, as did Ron and Aura for some reason.

_Aura _was looking at _Hermione _weridly then said "Hey, Ron remind me, how did she gets us in there again?"

Ron opened his mouth to tell _Aura _he hasn't experienced this yet when a note fell from the portal it said

_She's part of The Golden Trio, we can do things that seem impossible for other people, and that includes Hermione-sadly-getting you and me in the library._

_Ron._

"**The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"**

"**Oh, we're not working," Aura told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is."**

James chuckled "I bet Hagrid won't like hearing that" He glanced at Hagrid's shocked face. "Yup, won't like it one bit."

"**You what?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here — I've told yeh — drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."**

"Why do you have to be so curious?" Lily sighed

"I agree it would be much better if they just let it go" Mrs. Granger nodded

"Yeah, right" Bill chuckled "Look, I don't know much about Aura and Hermione but from the little I've seen about them and from what I know about Ron, I'm sure they won't stop until they discover about this great 'secret' and everyone telling them it's something they shouldn't know, it will just make them more curious"

"You're right" Sirius chuckled, that's what the Marauders would do as well.

_Hermione _nodded "It's true, we won't stop until we know what it is."

"**We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione.**

"**Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Aura added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere — just give us a hint — I know I've read his name somewhere."**

"It's not that hard to find it, you just have to look at the right places" Remus said

"I don't get it" Mr. Granger admitted, Mr. Weasley had explained what the stone was to him during lunch but still "If this Nicholas has such thing, how come it's not with him…"

"That's what we're all dying to know." Frank said "I can't see why the stone would be at Hogwarts.. unless…"

"What?" Sirius asked

"Someone was trying to steal it and it needed to be protected" Frank suggested

"That's possible" Mr. Weasley said. McGonagall sighed quietly, the secret was not going to be a secret for too long.

_Aura _groaned quietly and whispered to _Hermione_ "All that time in the library, and it was on the back of a card. Unbeliviable" _Hermione _gave a small laugh

"**I'm sayin' nothin', said Hagrid flatly.**

"**Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.**

Hagrid sighed.

**They had indeed been searching books for Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, because how else were they going to find out what Snape was trying to steal? The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. **

**He wasn't in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, or Notable Magical Names of Our Time; he was missing, too, from Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry. **

**And then, of course, there was the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows.**

"Wow, you counted?" Percy exclaimed

"No, it's in Hogwarts, a History" Hermione explained

"You read that?" Ron stared at her

"Yes" Hermione said

"You're nuts, the book has thousands pages" Ron shook his head, he'd never understand her.

"It's interesting"

**Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random. **

Some people chuckled.

**Aura wandered over to the Restricted Section. She had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and she knew she'd never get one. These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts.**

"**What are you looking for, girl?"**

"**Nothing," said Aura.  
**

**Madam Pince the librarian brandished a feather duster at her.**

"**You'd better get out, then. Go on — out!"**

"What's on that section that the students can't even look at?" Mr. Granger asked curiously

"Books can be dangerous too" Mr. Weasley said "Some books have spells on them and can cause you some damage"

"Really…" Mr. Granger started at him, he could not imagine a book doing people harm , but he couldn't imagine his daughter being a witch too, so…

_Aura _winced sightly, Trust me Mr. Granger, she thought remembering her second year, books can do _alot _of harm.

**Wishing she'd been a bit quicker at thinking up some story, Aura left the library. She, Ron, and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Snape hearing what they were up to.**

Snape grunted

"I don't want the stupid stone"

**Aura waited outside in the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but she wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for two weeks, after all, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks.**

"Good luck with that" Remus snorted "Every time I look for something there, she keeps looking at what I'm looking"

"Humm… Remus hate to break it up to you but she doesn't do that to everyone, she does that to you because you hang out with those two gits" Lily pointed at James and Sirius

"That'd explain a lot" Remus said thoughtful

"But that doesn't explain why she doesn't trust me" Aura said

"You're the daughter of said git" Lily explained

"Yea-OI!"

**Five minutes later, Ron and Hermione joined her, shaking their heads. They went off to lunch.**

"**You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything."**

"Don't count on that sweetie, they're eleven" Alice stated "They'll probably forget about it"

_Hermione _looked over at her best friend and sister "Oh, I can belive that."

"**And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron. "It'd be safe to ask them."**

"I'm afraid we won't be able to help" Mrs. Granger said

"**Very safe, as they're both dentists," said Hermione.**

**Once the holidays had started, Ron and Aura were having too good a time to think much about Flamel. **

People chuckled. Hermione shot them a disappointed look, the guys looked sheepishly

_Hermione _rolled eyes at _Aura _who just grinned at her.

**They had the dormitory to themselves and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork — bread, English muffins, marshmallows — and plotting ways of getting Malfoy expelled, which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.**

"Sounds like a good way to spend the day" Sirius grinned

**Ron also started teaching Aura wizard chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Ron's set was very old and battered. Like everything else he owned, it had once belonged to someone else in his family — in this case, his grandfather. However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all. Ron knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted.**

"That's the good part of it" Ron grinned

"You like chess?" Mr. Granger raised an eyebrow

"Yup" Ron said happily, forgetting that the man he was talking to was out to get his head. "I love it"

"And Ron is really good too" Mrs. Weasley smiled

"I should know" Charlie said "It's rather humiliating losing to a five-years-old boy"

"Maybe we should play some time" Mr. Granger gave Ron a look, that almost made him want to stop playing chess so he could get out of that, but instead of doing that he simply said

"Humm… er.. o-ok"

_Hermione _smiled "Dad, I think I should warn you, in mine and _Aura's _time you have played against Ron alot and never once won."

Mr. Granger didn't answer to that, just motioned to Bill to continue reading.

**Aura played with chessmen Seamus Finnigan had lent her, and they didn't trust her at all. She wasn't a very good player yet and they kept shouting different bits of advice at her, which was confusing. "Don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send him, we can afford to lose him."**

"They talk… that could be useful" Mr. Granger said

**On Christmas Eve, Aura went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all. **

**When she woke early in the morning, however, the first thing she saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of her bed.**

"I'll get a present?" Aura muttered, she never got presents, not even on Christmas.

**Aura quickly gathered her presents and ran to the boy's dorm, All the other boys besides Ron went home for christmas**

"**Happy Christmas," said Ron sleepily as Aura dumped her presents on Neville's bed and then sat down in front of them.  
**

"**You, too," said Aura. "Will you look at this? I've got some presents!"**

Lily looked sad, she didn't get present on Christmas, while that pig Dudley probably got thousand of presents.

_Aura _looked over and saw her mom's sad expression "Don't worry mum I get plently of presents now."

_Hermione_ nodded "Her boyfriend loves spoiling her rotten," she sighed "If only _my _boyfriend would spoil me."

Mr. Granger started to splutter "W-what...yo-you...boyfriend..WHAT?"

Mrs. Granger sighed and James patted Mr. Granger on the shoulder "I feel your pain my friend, I feel your pain."

"**What did you expect, turnips?" said Ron, turning to his own pile, which was a lot bigger than Aura's.**

**Aura picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was To Aura, from Hagrid. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Aura blew it — it sounded a bit like an owl.**

"Thanks, Hagrid" Aura said to the giant who grinned at her "Yer welcome"

**A second, very small parcel contained a note.**

**We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt**

**Petunia. Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.**

"At least they gave me something" Aura said, as people gave the book an angry look.

"**That's friendly," said Aura.  
**

**Ron was fascinated by the fifty pence.**

"**Weird!" he said, 'What a shape! This is money?"**

With that, Mrs. Weasley groaned 'not another one' and people laughed as both Mr. Weasley and Ron blushed

"See dad, you've been influencing people" Bill chuckled

"**You can keep it," said Aura, laughing at how pleased Ron was. "Hagrid and my aunt and uncle — so who sent these?"**

"**I think I know who that one's from," said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel. "My mom. I told her you didn't expect any presents and — oh, no," he groaned, "she's made you a Weasley sweater."**

"What's a Weasley sweater?" Tonks asked

"Every year I sew a sweater for each of my children" Mrs. Weasley explained, realizing that it meant that her book-self probably 'adopted' Aura, and she was glad, it was what she expected.

**Aura had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in sapphire blue and a large box of homemade fudge.**

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley" Aura said

"It's no problem, my dear"

"**Every year she makes us a sweater," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine's always maroon."**

"Don't you like maroon?" Mrs. Weasley narrowed her eyes

"Humm… no, not really" Ron avoided to look in her eyes

"But I thought it was your favorite color" Mrs. Weasley said

"No, that's my favorite color" Charlie said

"Oh… I'm sorry, Ron" Mrs. Weasley sighed, no wonder he has an inferiority complex.

"It's ok" Ron mumbled

"**That's really nice of her," said Aura, trying the fudge, which was very tasty.**

**Her next present also contained candy — a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione.**

"Thanks, Hermione" Aura said

"You're welcome"

**This only left one parcel. Aura picked it up and felt it. It was very light. She unwrapped it.**

**Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. **

The Marauders all jumped at this, getting everyone's attention

"You don't think it is what I'm thinking, do you?" Remus said

"Maybe" Sirius said

"It could be quite useful" James said

**Ron gasped.**

"**I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavor Beans he'd gotten from Hermione. **

"**If that's what I think it is — they're really rare, and really valuable."**

"Yes!" Sirius and James cheered

"What is it?" Tonks asked and was ignored

"**What is it?"**

**Aura picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.**

"You got my cloak" James grinned

"**It's an invisibility cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face. "I'm sure it is — try it on."**

"You have an invisibility cloak?" Frank exclaimed "That's why you got away with everything"

"Correction, they'd have gotten away with everything if they weren't stupid enough to sign the work" Lily said

"Don't you get it, Leprechaun, we wanted to get caught, so everyone would know we did it" Sirius grinned.

"Idiots"

**Aura threw the cloak around her shoulders and Ron gave a yell.**

"**It is! Look down!"**

**Aura looked down at her feet, but they were gone. She dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, her reflection looked back at her, just her head suspended in midair, her body completely invisible.**

"Awesome" The twins, Ron, Tiberius and Aura exclaimed

"Thanks, dad" Aura grinned, this was the best present ever, imagine what she could so at the Dursleys.

"No problem, kiddo" James grinned "Use it wisely"

"Translation: Get in trouble" Bill laughed.

**She pulled the cloak over her head and her reflection vanished completely.**

"**There's a note!" said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"**

"So, we'll see how it reached Aura" Frank commented

**Aura pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing she had never seen before were the following words:**

**Your father left this in my possession before he died.**

**It is time it was returned to you.**

**Use it well.**

**A Very Happy Christmas to you.**

**There was no signature. **

"Weird, who could it be? I don't trust my cloak with a lot of people" James narrowed his eyes

"Maybe it was with Moony and heard that Aura was at Hogwarts so he decided to send it to her" Sirius said, knowing that it couldn't be him the one sending it.

"I don't know, what would I be doing with the cloak?" Remus pondered "I mean, I only use it when we… er… do something"

"Prank people, you mean" Charlie grinned

"Well, yes" Remus went slightly pink. Meanwhile, Dumbledore was trying to mask his emotions as he knew he was doing the right thing, he couldn't get blind because of the power. Aura deserved the cloak and Dumbledore was sure she'd need it more than him.

**Aura stared at the note. Ron was admiring the cloak.**

"**I'd give anything for one of these," he said. "Anything. What's the matter?"**

"**Nothing," said Aura. She felt very strange. Who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to her father?**

"Yup, it has been in our families for generations"

**Before she could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George Weasley bounded in. Aura stuffed the cloak quickly out of sight. She didn't feel like sharing it with anyone else yet.**

The twins wanted to whine playfully and say something like 'no fair, Aura' but they didn't because they knew _why s_he didn't want to share.

"**Happy Christmas!"**

"**Hey, look — Aura's got a Weasley sweater, too!"**

**Fred and George were wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow F on it, they didn't seem very surprised to see Aura in the boy's dorm, even though girl's weren't allowed in the boy's dorm.  
**

"You're probably wearing it wrong, right?" Frank asked chuckling

"Yup"

"**Aura's is better than ours, though," said Fred, holding up Aura's sweater. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family."**

"That's not true" Mrs. Weasley glared at them

"We're joking, mum"

"**Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?" George demanded. "Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm."**

"**I hate maroon," Ron moaned halfheartedly as he pulled it over his head.**

Mr. Weasley shifted uncomfortably. Ron looked at the floor

"**You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid — we know we're called Gred and Forge."**

Everyone laughed, except for Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley (who was afraid of what his wife would do to him if he did so), McGonagall and Snape

"**What's all this noise?"**

**Percy Weasley stuck his head through the door, looking disapproving. He had clearly gotten halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried a lumpy sweater over his arm, which Fred seized.**

"**P for prefect! Get it on, Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours, even Aura got one."**

"**I — don't — want —" said Percy thickly, as the twins forced the sweater over his head, knocking his glasses askew.**

"Why don't you want to wear it?" Tonks asked

"Because I probably know they'll tease me because of the P" Percy said, the twins grinned. Mrs. Weasley glared

"**And you're not sitting with the prefects today, either," said George. "Christmas is a time for family."**

**They frog-marched Percy from the room, his arms pinned to his side by his sweater.**

**Aura had never in all her life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce – and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. **

"I think I'll get used to it" Aura grinned

**These fantastic party favors were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats inside. Aura pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice. Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him.**

**Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver sickle embedded in his slice. Aura watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek, who, to Aura's amazement, giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided.**

People laughed, McGonagall and Hagrid blushed hard.

"It must be a fun sight to see Minnie drunk" James said

"Aw, Minnie and Hagrid like each other." Tiberius said grinning at McGonagall, who was glraing at him, Tiberius just grinned wider, as usual unaffected by a teachers glare.

**When Aura finally left the table, she was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of nonexplodable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and her own new wizard chess set. The white mice had disappeared and Aura had a nasty feeling they were going to end up as Mrs. Norris's Christmas dinner.**

**Aura and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds. **

"I love snowball fights" Tonks said happily

"Us too" James and Sirius laughed

"Though Remus' the master" Sirius grinned

"I'm not" Remus blushed

"Yes, you are" The Marauders, Lily, Frank and Alice chorused

"Why you're the master?" Tonks raised an eyebrow

"Nobody beats him, he's a surprisingly fast walker in the snow" Sirius grinned.

"I'd like to see that" Tonks said

"Maybe I'll show you" Remus smiled

"Uhhh. Moony and Dora sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First—"

"Shut up, Sirius!" Remus and Tonks hit him the head

"Ow"

**Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, where Aura broke in her new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron. **

Ron grinned, Aura pouted playfully,

**She suspected she wouldn't have lost so badly if Percy hadn't tried to help her so much.**

"Thanks, Aura"

"Sorry, Percy"

"You're welcome Percy."

**After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge.**

Some people laughed at that.

**It had been Aura's best Christmas day ever. Yet something had been nagging at the back of her mind all day. Not until she climbed into bed was she free to think about it: the invisibility cloak and whoever had sent it.**

**Aura leaned over the side of her bed and pulled the cloak out from under it.**

**Her father's… this had been her father's. She let the material flow over her hands, smoother than silk, light as air. Use it well, the note had said.**

**She had to try it, now. She slipped out of bed and wrapped the cloak around herself. Looking down at her legs, she saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling.**

_**Use it well.**_

**Suddenly, Aura felt wide-awake. The whole of Hogwarts was open to her in this cloak. Excitement flooded through her as she stood there in the dark and silence. She could go anywhere in this, anywhere, and Filch would never know.**

Some people laughed, The Marauders smiled proudly, Lily and McGonagall groaned. Aura blushed, but gave a impish grin at the thought.

**Aura thought about Ron in the boy's drom and wondered, Should she wake him? Something held her back though— her father's cloak — she felt that this time — the first time — she wanted to use it alone.**

"It's ok, mate, I understand" Ron said as Aura gave him a guilty look.

**She crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and climbed through the portrait hole.**

"**Who's there?" squawked the Fat Lady. Aura said nothing. She walked quickly down the corridor.**

"Nobody ever says anything" Fabian said

**Where should she go? She stopped, her heart racing, and thought. And then it came to her. The Restricted Section in the library.**

"What?" Fred, Tiberius and George stared at her

"You can go anywhere in the castle but you chose the library?"

"Humm… I want to know who Flamel is" Aura gave them a sheepishly look

**She'd be able to read as long as she liked, as long as it took to find out who Flamel was. **

**She set off, drawing the invisibility cloak tight around her as she walked.**

**The library was pitch-black and very eerie. Aura lit a lamp to see her way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in midair, and even though Aura could feel her arm supporting it, the sight gave her the creeps.**

"At first it really does" Sirius said

**The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, she held up her lamp to read the titles.**

**They didn't tell her much. Their peeling faded gold letters spelled words in languages Aura couldn't understand. Some had no title at all. One book had a dark stain on it that looked horribly like blood. **

"It probably is" Snape muttered

**The hairs on the back of Aura's neck prickled. Maybe she was imagining it, maybe not, but she thought a faint whispering was coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be.**

"I don't doubt it, as I said books can be dangerous too" Mr. Weasley said

**She had to start somewhere. Setting the lamp down carefully on the floor, she looked along the bottom shelf for an interesting looking book. A large black and silver volume caught her eye. She pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on her knee, let it fall open.**

**A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence — the book was screaming! **

"I hate that book."_ Aura _muttered.

**Aura snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on, one high, unbroken, earsplitting note. **

People shuddered

"And that's why students don't have permission to go to the restricted session" McGonagall stated

**She stumbled backward and knocked over her lamp, which went out at once. Panicking, she heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside — stuffing the shrieking book back on the shelf, she ran for it. She passed Filch in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through her, and Aura slipped under Filch's outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor, the book's shrieks still ringing in her ears.**

**She came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armor. She had been so busy getting away from the library, she hadn't paid attention to where she was going. Perhaps because it was dark, she didn't recognize where she was at all. There was a suit of armor near the kitchens, she knew, but she must be five floors above there.**

"It's not good to get lost in the castle at night" James said

"Good thing we had the map" Sirius muttered under his breath

"**You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library Restricted Section."**

**Aura felt the blood drain out of her face. Wherever she was, Filch must know a shortcut, because her soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to her horror, it was Snape who replied, **"**The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them."**

"Why are you so obsessed?" Sirius snapped. But Bill didn't give him a chance to continue as he kept reading.

**Aura stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see her, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into her — the cloak didn't stop her from being solid.**

"Or make noise" Remus added

**She backed away as quietly as she could. A door stood ajar to her left. It was her only hope. She squeezed through it, holding her breath, trying not to move it, and to her relief she managed to get inside the room without their noticing anything. They walked straight past, and Aura leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away. That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before she noticed anything about the room she had hidden in.**

**It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket – but propped against the wall facing her was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.**

"Oh" Dumbledore let out "I don't think it'd be wise to stay there, Ms. Potter"

This comment made everyone uneasy as it came from the Headmaster.

**It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. **

"What's so bad about a mirror?" Mr. Granger asked

"It's the Mirror of Erised" Dumbledore said "And it can be very tricky"

Bill looked at the inscription in the book for a momment before he said "I show not your face but your hearts desire. That's what the inscription is backwards." he told everyone who looked confused

"I hate that mirror," _Aura _muttered

**Her panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Aura moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at herself but see no reflection again. **

**She stepped in front of it.**

**She had to clap her hands to her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She whirled around. Her heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed — for she had seen not only herself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind her.**

"Uh? My desire is a crowd of people?" Aura said confused, _Aura _winced

**But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, she turned slowly back to the mirror.**

**There she was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there, reflected behind her, were at least ten others. Aura looked over her shoulder — but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was she in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?**

"That would be creepy" Neville commented

**She looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind her reflection was smiling at her and waving. **

**She reached out a hand and felt the air behind her. If she was really there, she'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but she felt only air – she and the others existed only in the mirror.**

**She looked alot like Aura except she was much prettier. She had the same dark red hair Aura had and her eyes were the same shape as Aura's eyes but they were a bright green  
**

"Oh" Aura let a few tears escape her eyes as she bowed her head to the floor. Lily hugged her daughter, and started to run a hand through Aura's hair.

James noticed _Aura _was trying very hard not to cry so he reached over and pulled her into a hug, _Aura _hesitated for a momment before she hugged her father back. James smiled and kissed the top of her head.

Everybody fell silent.

**— but then she noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. The tall, thin, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy. It stuck up at the back, just as Aura's did. Aura also noticed that the eyes behind the glasses were a rich sapphire blue just like Aura's.  
**

James smiled and kissed _Aura's _head again

**Aura was so close to the mirror now that her nose was nearly touching that of her reflection.**

"**Mum?" she whispered. "Dad?"**

**They just looked at her, smiling. And slowly, Aura looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of blue eyes like her, other noses like her,even a little old woman had the same heart shaped face as her — Aura was looking at her family, for the first time in her life.**

The girls had tears in their eyes and the atmosphere was tense.

**The Potters smiled and waved at Aura and she stared hungrily back at them, her hands pressed flat against the glass as though she was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. She had a powerful kind of ache inside her, half joy, half terrible sadness.**

**How long she stood there, she didn't know. The reflections did not fade and she looked and looked until a distant noise brought her back to her senses. She couldn't stay here, she had to find her way back to bed. She tore her eyes away from her mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back," and hurried from the room.**

"And that's why the mirror is dangerous" Dumbledore said "People get too attracted to it that they sometimes forget about their real lives"

"**You could have woken me up," said Ron, crossly.**

"**You can come tonight, I'm going back, I want to show you the mirror."**

"**I'd like to see your mom and dad," Ron said eagerly.**

"That's not what you're going to see" Bill stated

"I wonder what Ronninks will see" George grinned. Ron made a face.

"**And I want to see all your family, all the Weasleys, you'll be able to show me your other brothers and everyone."**

"Just go to my house in the summer and you'll see everyone" Ron stated

"**You can see them any old time," said Ron. "Just come round my house this summer. Anyway, maybe it only shows dead people. **

Mrs. Weasley, Hermione and Tiberius-a more sensitive and more tactful person than Ron- shook their heads.

**Shame about not finding Flamel, though. Have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything?"**

"You know what? Ron really is like Padfoot" Remus stated as both men protested 'What's that suppose to mean?'

**Aura couldn't eat. She had seen her parents and would be seeing them again tonight. She had almost forgotten about Flamel. It didn't seem very important anymore. Who cared what the three headed dog was guarding? What did it matter if Snape stole it, really?**

"I'm not going to steal it!" Snape hissed

"**Are you all right?" said Ron. "You look odd."**

**What Aura feared most was that she might not be able to find the mirror room again. With Ron covered in the cloak, too, they had to walk much more slowly the next night. They tried retracing Aura's route from the library, wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour.**

"**I'm freezing," said Ron. "Let's forget it and go back."**

"Ron's right. It's for the best" Lily said

"**No!" Aura hissed. "I know it's here somewhere."**

**They passed the ghost of a tall witch gliding in the opposite direction, but saw no one else. just as Ron started moaning that his feet were dead with cold, Aura spotted the suit of armor.**

"**It's here — just here — yes!"**

**They pushed the door open. Aura dropped the cloak from around her shoulders and ran to the mirror.**

Lily sighed, she knew she wanted to see them but Dumbledore was right, the mirror can be bad;

**There they were. Her mother and father beamed at the sight of her.**

"**See?" Aura whispered.**

"**I can't see anything."**

"**Look! Look at them all… there are loads of them…"**

"**I can only see you."**

"**Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am."**

**Aura stepped aside, but with Ron in front of the mirror, she couldn't see her family anymore, just Ron in his paisley pajamas.**

**Ron, though, was staring transfixed at his image.**

"Here we go" Freed grinned

"**Look at me!" he said.**

"**Can you see all your family standing around you?"**

"**No — I'm alone — but I'm different — I look older — and I'm head boy!"**

"WHAT?" Fred and George explained "I can't believe you, Ron!"

"I thought you were…"

"better than that…"

"I can't believe…"

"you want to be Head Boy!"

"I think it's a good dream" Percy and Mrs. Weasley said

"You'd think" The twins said. Ron was trying to disappear into the couch.

"**What?"**

"**I am — I'm wearing the badge like Bill used to — and I'm holding the house cup and the Quidditch cup — I'm Quidditch captain, too."**

"That's better" Fred said

**Ron tore his eyes away from this splendid sight to look excitedly at Aura.**

"**Do you think this mirror shows the future?"**

"**How can it? All my family are dead — let me have another look —"**

"**You had it to yourself all last night, give me a bit more time."**

"**You're only holding the Quidditch cup, what's interesting about that? I want to see my parents."**

"**Don't push me —"**

"Oh, no. You shouldn't fight" Hermione said

_Hermione _sighed "I agree, Ro you and Ron shouldn't fight someone could find you."

"Ro?" Tiberius asked

_Hermione _shugged "Just another nickname for Aurora, I think I started using it near the end of first-year."

_Aura _grinned a little "I think I prefer Rora as another nickname." _Hermione _rolled her eyes "Of course you do that's what Ti-your boyfriend calls you."

James and Sirius grew angry at the thought of Aura's boyfriend, who ever he was, That Bastartd! they thought, no one touches our little girl and gets away with it.

**A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion.**

**They hadn't realized how loudly they had been talking.**

"**Quick!"**

**Ron threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Norris came round the door. Ron and Aura stood quite still, both thinking the same thing — did the cloak work on cats? **

"Yes, but she seems to hear well" Remus said

**After what seemed an age, she turned and left.**

"**This isn't safe — she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us. ****Come on."**

**And Ron pulled Aura out of the room.**

**The snow still hadn't melted the next morning.**

"**Want to play chess, Aura?" said Ron.**

"**No."**

"**Why don't we go down and visit Hagrid?"**

"**No… you go…"**

"**I know what you're thinking about, Aura, that mirror. Don't go back tonight."**

"He's right, Aura" Alice said

"**Why not?"**

"**I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about it — and anyway, you've had too many close shaves already. Filch, Snape, and Mrs. Norris are wandering around. So what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?"**

"**You sound like Hermione."**

"**I'm serious, Aura, don't go."**

"No, I am" Sirius grinned. People groaned

"Sirius please" Remus voiced what everyone was thinking

_Aura and Hermione _smiled a little they hadn't heard that in years.

**But Aura only had one thought in her head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and Ron wasn't going to stop her.**

**That third night she found her way more quickly than before. She was walking so fast she knew she was making more noise than was wise, but she didn't meet anyone.**

**And there were her mother and father smiling at her again, and one of her grandfathers nodding happily. Aura sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop her from staying here all night with her family. ****Nothing at all.**

**Except —**

"**So — back again, Aurora?"**

"Huh? Who's that?"

**Aura felt as though her insides had turned to ice. She looked behind her. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore. Aura must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror she hadn't noticed him.**

"Caught by the Headmaster, that can't be good" Bill commented

"**I — I didn't see you, sir."**

"**Strange how near sighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore, and Aura was relieved to see that he was smiling.**

"**So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Aura, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."**

"**I didn't know it was called that, Sir."**

"**But I expect you've realized by now what it does?"**

"**It — well — it shows me my family —"**

"**And it showed your friend Ron himself as head boy."**

"**How did you know —?"**

"I don't need a cloak to become invisible" Dumbledore smiled

"**I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Dumbledore gently. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"**

**Aura shook her head.**

"**Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. ****Does that help?"**

**Aura thought. Then he said slowly, "It shows us what we want… whatever we want…"**

"**Yes and no," said Dumbledore quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. **

Ron was staring at the floor as Bill read that, his brothers exchanged a look, hoping that something would happen in these book that would change this 'issue' Ron has.

**However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.**

"**The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Aurora, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"**

**Aura stood up.**

"**Sir — Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"**

"**Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."**

"**What do you see when you look in the mirror?"**

"Don't you think that's a little personal?" Lily asked

"Hum…"

"**I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks."**

**Aura stared.**

"**One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."**

People chuckled, it sounded something like what Dumbledore would say, they didn't notice that Dumbledore had a strange expression on his face as he was remembering what it really showed him.

_Aura _looked over at the headmaster sadly, they both saw the same thing when they looked in the mirror- they're families alive and well.

**It was only when she was back in bed that it struck Aura that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful. But then, she thought, it had been quite a personal question.**

"It's the end," Bill said

"Can I read next, Bill?" _Aura_ asked

"Of Course" Bill handed her the book.


	14. Nicholas Flamel

DC: i own nothing

**"Nicholas Flamel,"** _Aura _read

**Dumbledore had convinced Aura not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again, and for the rest of the Christmas holidays the invisibility cloak stayed folded at the bottom of her trunk. **

"That's good" Lily nodded in approval

**Aura wished she could forget what she'd seen in the mirror as easily, but she couldn't. She started having nightmares. Over and over again she dreamed about her parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter.**

At this, most of the room shuddered.

"**You see, Dumbledore was right, that mirror could drive you mad," said Ron, when Aura told him about these dreams.**

**Hermione, who came back the day before term started, took a different view of things. She was torn between horror at the idea of Aura being out of bed, roaming the school three nights in a row ("If Filch had caught you!"), and disappointment that she hadn't at least found out who Nicolas Flamel was.**

**They had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book, even though Aura was still sure she'd read the name somewhere. Once term had started, they were back to skimming through books for ten minutes during their breaks. Aura had even less time than the other two, because Quidditch practice had started again.**

"I know what you mean, it's really stressing." Tonks said

"You played in the house team, my dearest cousin?" Sirius asked

"Yup. Beater" Tonks grinned

**Wood was working the team harder than ever. Even the endless rain that had replaced the snow couldn't dampen his spirits. The Weasleys complained that Wood was becoming a fanatic, but Aura was on Wood's side. **

"Of course, she is" Lily rolled her eyes "She's related to that obsessed git"

"Hey, I take offence to that" James protested "And Aura's right, Quidditch has to been taken seriously"

Sirius opened his mouth to say something but half of the room quickly said

"Shut up, Sirius"

"You guys are no fun" He pouted

**If they won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the house championship for the first time in seven years. Quite apart from wanting to win, Aura found that she had fewer nightmares when she was tired out after training.**

Dumbledore looked thoughtful at that, sometimes dreams have more to it, what are those nightmares exactly? He wondered

**Then, during one particularly wet and muddy practice session, Wood gave the team a bit of bad news. He'd just gotten very angry with the Weasleys, who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms.**

"Oliver hates when we do that" George grinned

"Which means you do that a lot?" Frank smiled at the pair

"Yeah, pretty much"

"**Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"**

"Wait! Woah? Snape's refereeing the game?" Sirius exclaimed

"You never do that?" McGonagall eyed Snape suspiciously, when it came to Quidditch she was always careful. She did not want the Gryffindors to suffer because Snape can't accept that they have a better team;

"I know what you're thinking" Snape glared at McGonagall "And I wouldn't waste my time refereeing the game just so I can guarantee my team's victory. I have more faith in them than that and also I wouldn't like to win cheating" He said and upon seeing the doubtful look on most of the people in the room, he decided to add "And before you say anything, No, I'm not trying to kill Potter"

"No one said that, you're the one saying it" Tonks said suspiciously

"I believe" Dumbledore interrupted the argument before it got off hand "that we should read more before we jump to any conclusions. We shouldn't judge anyone before the end of the seven books"

The room went quiet with that, the problem with arguing with Albus Dumbledore is that you'll never win so there's really no point in trying.

**George Weasley really did fall off his broom at these words.**

"I'd bet" George muttered

"**Snape's refereeing?" he spluttered through a mouthful of mud. "When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."**

**The rest of the team landed next to George to complain, too.**

Snape sighed, on the contrary of what most people shall think he does not enjoy having three fourths of the school hating him. In truth, he did not plan to spend the rest of his life teaching spoiled brats Potions, as he was much happy when he graduated, the prospect of leaving Hogwarts seemed to be the perfect answer to Severus at the time. Nevertheless, he shouldn't be complaining, if he was to face the consequences of his original achievements, he'd be roasting to death next to Bellatrix Lestrange in Azkaban.

"**It's not my fault," said Wood. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."**

"As if it would be this simple" Charlie scoffed, once in his 6th year, Madam Hooch got sick and was unable to referee the match, so they made Snape do it in her place. Let's say that he manage to turn such a pleasant sport into pure hell.

**Which was all very well, thought Aura, but she had another reason for not wanting Snape near her while she was playing Quidditch…**

Snape wanted to yell that he didn't want to kill the girl one more time, but contained himself. As he watched Lily glance at him disappointed, his heart broke into two. He was still in love with her, even after all that years, but she'd never be his.

**The rest of the team hung back to talk to one another as usual at the end of practice, but Aura headed straight back to the Gryffindor common room, where ahe found Ron and Hermione playing chess.**

"This shall be good" laughed, Hermione glared at him and shook her head

"Why?" Bill raised an eyebrow

"Unfortunately, Hermione seems to not have inherited my Chess skills. I've tried to teach her countless times, but she never seems to quite get it" had a smile on his face "And if Ronald is as good as you seem to think he is, then, well, she'll lose badly. And I think you all must have already noticed that Hermione is not a good loser"

People laughed, as the Hermiones blushed and exclaimed "Daddy!"

"What, Hermione? I'm merely stating the truth" David defended himself against his daughter and her future counterpart, as the rest watched the pair in amusement

_Hermione shook her head_ and muttered "I'm better in the future." and from the portal in the ceiling they heard laughter and then Ron's voice saying "Really Hermione, last week Teddy beat you three times in a row. You call that better."

_Hermione _didn't answer but Tiberius asked "Who's Teddy?"

_Aura said _"He's my godson, don't ask who his parents asre you'll find out in the later books."

"Which book?"

_Aura _grinned at her future boyfriend and said "The last one." Tiberius and everyone else groaned

**Chess was the only thing Hermione ever lost at, something Aura and Ron thought was very good for her.**

gave her a look of 'See-even-your-friends-think-so' as Ron and Aura grinned at her. She turned her head and faked a cough 'Traitors' which made everyone laugh.

"**Don't talk to me for a moment," said Ron when Aura sat down next to him, "I need to concen—" He caught sight of Aura's face.**

"**What's the matter with you? You look terrible."**

**Speaking quietly so that no one else would hear, Aura told the other two about Snape's sudden, sinister desire to be a Quidditch referee.**

Fabian snorted "sudden sinister desire."

"**Don't play," said Hermione at once.**

"**Say you're ill," said Ron.**

"**Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.**

"**Really break your leg," said Ron.**

"That wouldn't really work" Alice stated "Madam Pomfrey could heal you in like five minutes"

"**I can't," said Aura. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."**

**At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognized at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor tower.**

"Oh, No" Alice exclaimed in a worried tone. While Neville groaned.

**Everyone fell over laughing except Hermione, **

"Hey! What about me and Ron, I didn't laugh and Ron just snickered a little." _Aura_ yelled

**who leapt up and performed the counter curse.**

"Thanks" Alice smiled at the girl

"There's nothing to thank me for" Hermione said

**Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling. "What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Aura and Ron.**

"**Malfoy," said Neville shakily. **

"That…" Frank started but stopped, he didn't want to break down in front of the children.

"**I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."**

"Oh, you should just come to me and say it, Mr. Longbottom" McGonagall said "I shall make Mr. Malfoy take the consequences."

"**Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"**

"Yes, listen to her" McGonagall nodded.

**Neville shook his head.**

"**I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.**

At this, she frowned, but decided against saying anything.

"**You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."**

The majority of the males in the room nodded in agreement and let our yells of

"Yeah, you should stand up to him"

"**There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked out.**

"I don't think that's what I meant" Ron scowled at Neville, couldn't he see that he was underestimating himself.

"That wasn't what I meant at all!" future Ron yelled from the portal obviously he was watching this from the future

"Sorry, Ron" Neville said

**Aura felt in the pocket of her robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog, the very last one from the box Hermione had given her for Christmas. She gave it to Neville, who looked as though he might cry.**

"**You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Aura said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."**

"Yeah, you said it" James cheered along with the Gryffindors, males Gryffindors that is.

**Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog.**

"**Thanks, Aura… I think I'll go to bed… D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"**

**As Neville walked away, Aura looked at the Famous Wizard card.**

"**Dumbledore again," she said, "He was the first one I ever —"**

**She gasped. She stared at the back of the card. Then she looked up at Ron and Hermione.**

Dumbledore smiled "So I see, you remembered" The room looked at him confused

"You'll see soon, I'm sure"

_Aura and Hermione _groaned confusing people even more.

"**I've found him!" she whispered. "I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here — listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!"**

"So we'll go through all of that hours in the library and in the end it will all be in a Chocolate Frog Card" Ron grimaced, Aura soon following him. People laughed at the look on their faces.

"There's worst things in life" Hermione rolled her eyes "Reading is a very respectful and endearing activity"

Aura,_ Aura,_ and Ron in return, just rolled their eyes. , and Lily smiled at them, they could see how natural they were in this friendship. And each mother was grateful for it. because she had always known that Ron being the youngest of six men affected him quite a lot, adding the fact that he did not have much contact with not family people his age before Hogwarts, she was sure this friendship would do him good. was grateful because for the first time she saw Hermione being herself among kids her and finally make friends with them. While Lily was happy that Aura would see that no matter what the Dursleys would do, she could still be happy with her friends.

**Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd gotten back the marks for their very first piece of homework.**

People chuckled and _Hermione _scowled at _Aura _who grinned sheepishly at her.

"**Stay there!" she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Aura and Ron barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms.**

"**I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."**

"Light?" Ron repeated incredulous "I thought you said it was an enormous book"

"Not everyone's as lazy as you are, Ronald" Hermione huffed. Ron tried to control his ears from turning red without success. Something about the way she called him by his full name gave him a strange feeling. But still he's just eleven, it's probably nothing. But he had a feeling something would happen…

"**Light?" said Ron, but Hermione told him to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself.**

People laughed again.

_Aura _sighed and they heard _Ron _sigh too "She does that alot, it's really annoying."

_Hermione _frowned at the portal "Oh, would you just come down here all ready Ron?"

"When you finish the chapter, I'll find someone else to watch the portal for us, maybe Neville or Bill. Want me to bring Tiberius too?"

_Aura _grinned and nodded, but _Hermione _blinked "He's back?" "Yeah he got back a minute ago and yes Aura he got your snacks."

"Yes!" Sirius raised and eyebrow "Snacks?"

"Yeah Aura sent him all the way to america to get some californa rolls or what ever there called, Germany to get a bratwurst and brötchen, and finally Italy to get some lasagne." Everyone looked at _Aura _in shock but all she said was "Cravings." The she continued to read

**At last she found what she was looking for.**

"**I knew it! I knew it!"**

"**Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron grumpily. Hermione ignored him.**

"You two sound like my mum and dad" Tonks said "They fight like an old married couple, which they are, but anyway it's just their way of teasing each other. It's quite amusing. It would be even more if they weren't my parents"

The room snorted agreeing with Tonks, but Ron and Hermione blushed as returned to his old game of 'Glaring at Ronald Weasley'.

"**Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"**

**This didn't have quite the effect she'd expected.**

"**The what?" said Aura and Ron.**

"I pity you, Hermione" Remus shook his head "I know how it is to hang out with two gits that don't know anything"

"Oi!"

"**Oh, honestly, don't you two read? Look – read that, there."**

**She pushed the book toward them, and Aura and Ron read:**

**The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.**

**There have been many reports of the Philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).**

"This Elixir of life is pretty cool and all but I don't think I'd like to live this long, it'd get quite depressing to see all the people you care about pass away" said. The room murmured in agreement, not really enjoying the topic of the conversation.

"**See?" said Hermione, when Aura and Ron had finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"**

"Is that really why?" Remus asked

"Mostly," Dumbledore confessed

"**A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" said Aura. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."**

Snape grunted "For your information, I'm helping with the protection"

"**And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"**

"That's true" Frank chuckled

**The next morning in Defense Against the Dark Arts, while copying down different ways of treating werewolf bites, Aura and Ron were still discussing what they'd do with a Philosopher's Stone if they had one. It wasn't until Ron said he'd buy his own Quidditch team that Aura remembered about Snape and the coming match.**

"You could buy the Cannons easily, they must be quite cheap" Bill teased his youngest brother

"Oi!" Ron scowled,

"**I'm going to play," she told Ron and Hermione. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them… it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."**

"**Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field," said Hermione.**

**As the match drew nearer, however, Aura became more and more nervous, whatever she told Ron and Hermione. The rest of the team wasn't too calm, either. The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the house championship was wonderful, no one had done it for seven years, but would they be allowed to, with such a biased referee?**

"A though mission" Charlie said

**Aura didn't know whether she was imagining it or not, but she seemed to keep running into Snape wherever she went. At times, she even wondered whether Snape was following her, trying to catch her on her own. **

"Why would I be following you around, Potter?" Snape snapped, Aura glared at him

"I don't know, you're the one doing it!"

"Don't you speak with me like that, girl!"

"You two stop!" McGonagall yelled, both of them backed away. "Could please start reading again, "

"Ok"

**Potions lessons were turning into a sort of weekly torture, Snape was so horrible to Aura. Could Snape possibly know they'd found out about the Philosopher's Stone?**

Snape frowned, he probably suspected something, especially since she was Potter's brat.

**Aura didn't see how he could — yet she sometimes had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds.**

Snape let out a smirk at this, that went unnoticed by people in the room, except for Aura.

**Aura knew, when they wished her good luck outside the locker rooms the next afternoon, that Ron and Hermione were wondering whether they'd ever see her alive again.**

"You lot sure are pessimistic" Charlie said

_Hermione _smiled "Yeah we were, and Aura still is."

"Yea-OI!"

**This wasn't what you'd call comforting. Aura hardly heard a word of Wood's pep talk as she pulled on her Quidditch robes and picked up her Nimbus Two Thousand.**

**Ron and Hermione, meanwhile, had found a place in the stands next to Neville, who couldn't understand why they looked so grim and worried, or why they had both brought their wands to the match.**

**Little did Aura know that Ron and Hermione had been secretly practicing the Leg-Locker Curse. **

"Why didn't you tell me?" Both Aura's asked

"We probably did not want to worry you even more" Hermione said, as Ron nodded agreeing.

"We didn't" _Hermione _said

**They'd gotten the idea from Malfoy using it on Neville, and were ready to use it on Snape if he showed any sign of wanting to hurt Aura.**

"That's so sweet, you're willing to fight for each other" Alice said, but , Lily and paled at the thought of them having to fight at all.

"**Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis," Hermione muttered as Ron slipped his wand up his sleeve.**

"**I know," Ron snapped. "Don't nag."**

Lily let out a laugh at this. Everyone stared at her, She shook her head

"It's just that… Tonks said that they remind her of her parents, but now they're reminding me of my grandparents. Whenever I'd visit them, Grandma would ask Grandpa to do something and then she'd tell him in details what to do and he'd get annoying and wave her off like 'I know, I know. Don't nag, woman!'" She laughed, most of the room soon joined her. Hermione and Ron went pink and grimaced.

**Back in the locker room, Wood had taken Aura aside.**

"**Don't want to pressure you, Potter, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favor Hufflepuff too much."**

"Yeah, really, no pressure" Aura rolled her eyes

"Don't worry he gets worse." _Aura _told her younger self.

"**The whole school's out there!" said Fred Weasley, peering out of the door. "Even — blimey — Dumbledore's come to watch!"**

**Aura's heart did a somersault.**

"**Dumbledore?" she said, dashing to the door to make sure. Fred was right. There was no mistaking that silver beard.**

"Great, Snape won't do anything with Dumbledore around" Sirius said happily, Snape didn't even bother saying he didn't want to kill the girl.

**Aura could have laughed out loud with relief, she was safe. There was simply no way that Snape would dare to try to hurt her if Dumbledore was watching.**

**Perhaps that was why Snape was looking so angry as the teams marched onto the field, something that Ron noticed, too.**

"**I've never seen Snape look so mean," he told Hermione. "Look — they're off. Ouch!"**

**Someone had poked Ron in the back of the head. It was Malfoy.**

"Great" Ron groaned "The git"

"**Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there."**

**Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle.**

"**Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on her broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"**

**Ron didn't answer; Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George Weasley had hit a Bludger at him.**

Everybody laughed

"Good one, Forge"

**Hermione, who had all her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Aura, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch.**

"**You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Malfoy loudly a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money — you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."**

"That son of a-" Sirius let out;

**Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy.**

"**I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.**

_"_You tell him, Neville" Sirius cheered. As well as most of the room cheered for Neville, who blushed.

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said, "You tell him, Neville."**

"Thanks, guys" Neville said

"**Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."**

"I'm going to kill that git"

**Ron's nerves were already stretched to the breaking point with anxiety about Aura.**

"**I'm warning you, Malfoy — one more word—"**

"**Ron!" said Hermione suddenly, "Aura —"**

"**What? Where?"**

**Aura had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her crossed fingers in her mouth, as Aura streaked toward the ground like a bullet.**

"**You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Malfoy.**

"Hit him, Ron" Sirius yelled

**Ron snapped. Before Malfoy knew what was happening, Ron was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground. **

"Go! Ron!" The males yelled, while scolded

"Ronald! You shouldn't fight"

**Neville hesitated, then clambered over the back of his seat to help.**

"You can do it, Neville" Alice cheered, as people stared at the woman shocked.

"**Come on, Aura!" Hermione screamed, leaping onto her seat to watch as Aura sped straight at Snape — she didn't even notice Malfoy and Ron rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists that was Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle.**

"Wow" People let out, Hermione blushed "I'm probably worried Aura's going to die"

**Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches — the next second, Aura had pulled out of the dive, her arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in her hand.**

"YEAH!" The males cheered again

"WE WON! WE WON" Fred and George sang

"Actually, you haven't yet" Tonks said

"WE'LL WIN, WE'LL WIN" They corrected themselves. When the room calmed down, Charlie started reading again.

**The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.**

"**Ron! Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Aura's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!" shrieked Hermione, dancing up and down on her seat and hugging Parvati Patil in the row in front.**

"I didn't think you liked Quidditch" raised an eyebrow

"Sounds like an interesting sport to watch but I don't think I'd be a good player" Hermione said

_Aura _looked at _Hermione _and raised an eyebrow, hugging Parvati? That didn't sound like her. _Hermione _shrugged

**Aura jumped off her broom, a foot from the ground. She couldn't believe it. She'd done it — the game was over; it had barely lasted five minutes. As Gryffindors came spilling onto the field, she saw Snape land nearby, white-faced and tight-lipped — then Aura felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into Dumbledore's smiling face.**

"**Well done," said Dumbledore quietly, so that only Aura could hear. "Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror… been keeping busy… excellent…"**

"Yes" Lily smiled

**Snape spat bitterly on the ground.**

**Aura left the locker room alone some time later, to take her Nimbus Two Thousand back to the broomshed. She couldn't ever remember feeling happier. She'd really done something to be proud of now – no one could say she was just a famous name any more.**

"It's just a game at Hogwarts, Aura" Remus said sadly "It won't become more famous than your reputation"

**The evening air had never smelled so sweet. She walked over the damp grass, reliving the last hour in her head, which was a happy blur: Gryffindors running to lift her onto their shoulders; Ron and Hermione in the distance, jumping up and down, Ron cheering through a heavy nosebleed.**

sighed

**Aura had reached the shed. She leaned against the wooden door and looked up at Hogwarts, with its windows glowing red in the setting sun. Gryffindor in the lead. She'd done it, she'd shown Snape…**

**And speaking of Snape…**

**A hooded figure came swiftly down the front steps of the castle. Clearly not wanting to be seen, it walked as fast as possible toward the forbidden forest. Aura's victory faded from her mind as she watched. She recognized the figure's prowling walk. Snape, sneaking into the forest while everyone else was at dinner — what was going on?**

Tonks stared at Severus.

**Aura jumped back on her Nimbus Two Thousand and took off. Gliding silently over the castle she saw Snape enter the forest at a run. Sh****e followed.**

"Why must look for trouble?" Lily sighed

**The trees were so thick she couldn't see where Snape had gone. She flew in circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches of trees until she heard voices. She glided toward them and landed noiselessly in a towering beech tree.**

**She climbed carefully along one of the branches, holding tight to her broomstick, trying to see through the leaves.**

**Below, in a shadowy clearing, stood Snape, but he wasn't alone. Quirrell was there, too. Aura couldn't make out the look on his face, but he was stuttering worse than ever. Aura strained to catch what they were saying.**

"… **d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus…"**

"**Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy. **

"**Students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone, after all."**

**Aura leaned forward. Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him.**

"**Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"**

"**B-b-but Severus, I —"**

"You're getting Quirrell to help you?" James shook his head

"I don't want the stone and if I wanted I'd not get help from stupid Quirrell" Snape hissed

"**You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," said Snape, taking a step toward him.**

"**I-I don't know what you—"**

"**You know perfectly well what I mean."**

**An owl hooted loudly, and Aura nearly fell out of the tree. She steadied himself in time to hear Snape say, "— your little bit of hocus-pocus. ****I'm waiting."**

"**B-but I d-d-don't —"**

"**Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."**

"Explain that" Sirius asked Snape

"Maybe Quirreall's the one trying to steal the stone and I want to keep it safe" Snape said

"Yeah, right" Sirius scoffed, but Remus said "You know what that's not completely impossible, Padfoot. Quirreall keeps being mentioned all the time, I have a feeling there's more to it"

"Moony!" Sirius exclaimed shocked "In which side are you on?"

"Yours, of course, Pads" Remus laughed "But Snape happens to have a point"

"Humf" Sirius huffed.

Everyone else looked over at _Aura and Hermione_ but they shook their heads and _Hermione said _"Wait until the end of the book."

**He threw his cloak over his head and strode out of the clearing. It was almost dark now, but Aura could see Quirrell, standing quite still as though he was petrified.**

"**Harry, where have you been?" Hermione squeaked.**

"**We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, thumping Aura on the back. "And I gave Malfoy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still out cold but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right**

"Thank God" Alice let out

**talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred, George and Tiberius stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."**

"Is this against the rules?" asked

"Yes, but everybody does that" Remus said

"There's really no way to stop them" McGonagall confessed

"**Never mind that now," said Aura breathlessly. "Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this…"**

**She made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them, then she told them what she'd seen and heard.**

"**So we were right, it is the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy — and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus pocus' — I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through —"**

"**So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" said Hermione in alarm.**

"It will be gone in no time" Ron said

"**It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron.**

"Sounds about right" Ron grinned

"Who wants to read?" _Aura _asked

"I will." _Ron _said as he and _Tiberius _fell from the portal. _Ron _looked pretty much the same as now, lanky, big feet, long nose and Weasley red hair. Everyone looked at Tiberius and Fabian said "Gideon good to see you, they brought you from the past too?"

_Tiberius _rolled his eyes and said "Dad, it's me."

Fabian let out a quiet "no way" that no one heard cause just at that momment _Aura _yelled happily "Tierbius!You're here!I've missed you!" hugged him tightly and gave him a big kiss right on the lips causing both James and Sirius to choke

_Tiberius _pulled away after a momment and told _Aura _"Got your stuff." Which made _Aura _kiss him again, the second kiss was deeper and more intimate than the first.

James and Sirius pulled out their wands. pulled _Aura _away from her boyfriend saying they needed to have a little _talk _with him for a momment then dragged him away. _Ron _waved at a terrified looking _Tiberius, who was _making _help me _motions wih his hands, and called out "It was nice knowing you," and as an after thought _Ron _added"I'll say good things about at your funeral, don't worry." making _Aura _laugh and _Hermione _glare at him _"Ronald_ be nice."

Tiberius was red and hesiantly he asked "So I'm your boyfriend in the future?"

_Aura _nodded "Yeah, your the best boyfriend ever. So we should continue reading their not going to come back for a while _Ron _here's the book."

_Ron _sat down in a chair and said "Auras, Hermiones it was going knowing you guys," everyone looked at him confused before he read "Chapter 15 **Norbet the Norwegian Ridgeback."**

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Ok everyone I finally updated Yay! that was the good news bad news I'm using a friends laptop so again you will have to wait awhile for updates, my laptop is still broken T_T i'm so so so so so so so so so so so so so so sorry.

I'll try to get a new cable as soon as I can but we're dealing with money problems so... Umm please reveiw, reveiws make me happy.

Sorry for any mistakes I made I had no time to look this over Sorry again!


	15. The Talk, DunDunDUN!

OK EVERYONE I FINALLY HAVE A COMPUTER AGAIN HURRAY! Now my dear readers it time for the... Talk! Dun...Dun...DUN! Oh yeah disclaimer I don't own Harry Potter, normally I'd go and cry in my little depressed crying corner but I'm too happy! I'm going to take my poll down on friday so please vote if you haven't yet... please do, right now it's a three way tie. Please? Also I dedicate this chapter to my pet dwarf hamster Skipper, my his little soul rest in peace.

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The Talk.

Once James and Sirius pulled _Tiberius _upstairs, they dragged him into a nearby room. It was filled with books on dozens of shelves and a huge oak desk in front of the giant window, James vaugely recongized this room as his father's room, it brought back good memories of his father - James' dad yelling at him and Sirius for doing something stupid - James broke out of his remisisents of the past when he heard the door snap shut, he turned around to see Sirius locking the door and _Tiberius _standing in the middle of room with his wand confinscated.

_Tiberius _shuddered a little, merlin this is horrible, he thought, James and Sirius were now glaring silently at him, it truely was horrible an angry McGonagall he could handle no problem, Snape - greasy haired git - he didn't understand what was so scary about him, and the death eaters, a bunch of cowards in masks he always thought, but I'd rather face a thousand death eaters and old Voldy himself if that meant I didn't have to face these two, _Tiberius _thought as he looked at his girlfriend's father and godfather standing together with their arms crossed over their chests, it was a very scary sight indeed.

_Tiberius _waited for the to speak. They didn't. Then after ten or so minutes then suddenly they started to fire questions so fast _Tiberius _almost didn't catch them.

"Do you love her?"

"When did you two start to date?"

"Do you plan on marrying her?"

"Why haven't you guys gotten married? She is carrying your child after all."

"That is a very good point Padfoot, what do you do for a living?"

"Thanks Prongs I know it was a good point otherwise you would have made that point, and my last question have you ever cheated on her?"

_Tiberius _blinked they had asked all those questions in under a minute. Wow. "Umm, let's see uh, yes I do love her, when we started to date? Sorry can't tell you that just that it's in one of the books. Yes I do plan on marrying her, we haven't because everytime I try to ask Aura someone comes and inturpts us, I'm a professanial quddtich player but I'm going to quit after the baby is born maybe work for the Prophet, and no I have never cheated on her I'd never even think of it she'd kill me. Oh and did I mention that when the baby is born if it's a boy we're going to name him James Sirius." _Tiberius added _the last part hoping to soften them it worked...a little they're eyes went from hard as diamonds to steel...still it's an improvement.

Sirius nodded as he took in all of this infomation then he asked "If it's a girl?"

_Tiberius _grinned a little and said "Lily Luna," and at the other mens look of confusion he told the "Luna is a good friend of mine, she'll be in the books too but not until the fifth one-don't _Aura _I told you guys that. Actually you might hear Luna from the portal soon, she and her finace are coming back from a trip either today or tomrrow."

James nodded and smiled a bit, he couldn't wait to tell Lily what their grandchild's name would be!

After a minute James and Sirius went back to glaring(They do seem to really love glaring don't you think?) for about five minutes, then James sighed and said "Well _Tiberius _remember I'm an arouor, I'm the guy who puts you in azkaban and I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Sirius nodded and added "I've been to azkaban once, _Prewett _and I'm not afraid to go back."

Both men once _again glared at poor Tiberius _until he nodded and James couldn't help but notice their was a strange look in _Tiberius' _eyes after Sirius made his little threat, he wondered what that was about as he and Sirius walked down the stairs, _Tiberius_ wasn't walking with them he had fled the momment James and Sirius let him. Once both of them got down stairs they heard _Tiberius _and _Ron _talking about something that had to do with skulls and doom, both men wondered what that was about but didn't ask instead they asked Remus who was comforting a worried Lily about what they missed. Lily then exploded at them yelling about how Hagrid had won a dragon egg from a stranger, how he had the trio help him take care of the dragon and how when they got rid of it Aura, Hermione and Neville got in trouble and Malfoy too, and then they got detention in the forbidden forest and Aura almost got attacked by something and saved by a centaur.

"Wow." was both their response

Dumbledore cleared his throat "If we can continue, we're almost done, we can finish it tonight and start the second book tomrrow. _Mr. Prewett _if you don't mind could you please read?"

_Tiberius _nodded okay everyone the next chapter is called **Through the Trapped Door,"**

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Okay everyone, here's a new chapter I hope you like it. Ok just to warn all of you I'm not really in the mood to write the two chapters the guys missed so I'm just going to skip them. Sorry! if anyone wanted to read those chapters so sorry!

*_Tiberius _POV* When James and Sirius were glaring at him silently.

Okay I could swear there is a giant skull behind those two yelling in a very demonic voice "!"

So _this_ is what _Ron_ was talking about when he told me about that "Private Talk" Mr. Granger had wanted to have with him after he found out he and _Hermione _were dating. A giant skull behind the scary dad yelling DOOM! Weird.

Please R/R it makes my me happy!


	16. Through the Trapdoor

Okay everyone new chapter! I'm so happy to be able to update again.

I took down the poll on my profile so if anyone wanted to vote sorry! But since it ended on a tie-Blah!- I will not be writing either of those, the winner is House of Night! I'll have it up by Sunday, promise for all you House of Night fans reading this(If any of you read it, if you don't you should it's a good book series)

* * *

DC: I own nothing, really I don't, not even own my soul, Greece owns it.

"**Through the Trapdoor,"** _Tiberius_ read.

"You're actually going to go down there?" gasped, looking at _Aura._

"Actually we did,-" she pointed at _Ron, Hermione _and herself "- and they are." she finished pointing at her and her friend's younger selves, as she snuggled into her boyfriend's side(I'm not good at romance so if I ever write any, it won't be very good sorry.)

**In years to come, Aura would never quite remember how she had managed to get through her exams when she half expected Voldemort** **to come bursting through the door at any moment.**

"I did not!" _Aura_ protested.

**Yet the days crept by, and there could be no doubt that Fluffy was still alive and well behind the locked door.**

"We sure that's a good thing?" Bill whispered to Percy and not Charlie, the animal lover.

**It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell.**

"Your lack of faith is appalling!" Fred said, offended.

McGonagall rolled her eyes.

**They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap dance across a desk.**

"This book is useful," Aura whispered to Ron, Ron nodded then looked innocent as his mother and Lily turned to look at the two of them for a few seconds supiciously, both women turned away satisfied. Aura and Ron let out twin sighs of relief as Hermione giggled at the two of them.

**Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox—points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.**

"That's ironic," Tiberius mused.

**Aura did the best she could, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in her forehead, which had been bothering her ever since her trip into the forest.**

**Neville thought Aura had a bad case of exam nerves because Aura couldn't sleep,(Ron was a little worried about her so he told Neville about it.) but the truth was that Aura kept being woken by her old nightmare, except that it was now worse than ever because there was a hooded figure dripping blood in it.**

Everyone shuddered. They'd have nightmares after that, for sure.

**Maybe it was because they hadn't seen what Aura had seen in the forest, or because they didn't have scars burning on their foreheads, but Ron and Hermione didn't seem as worried about the Stone as Aura. **

"Of course we were!" _Ron_ and _Hermione_ said in shock.

**The idea of Voldemort** **certainly scared them, but he didn't keep visiting them in dreams, and they were so busy with their studying they didn't have much time to fret about what Snape or anyone else might be up to.**

_Oh, I was fretting, Ron_ said with a small frown. It was mainly Hermione who focused on exams, but Ron was sure she was just as worried.

**Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self-stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Aura couldn't help cheering with the rest.**

"Who could not cheer?" Fabian asked.

**"That was far easier than I thought it would be,"** **said Hermione as they joined the crowds flocking out onto the sunny grounds. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."**

"That's not even mentioned until fourth year!" Remus said in shock.

"I—I did a little extra research," _Hermione_ defended.

Everyone else was still surprised, looking at her.

**Hermione always liked to go through their exam papers afterward, but Ron said this made him feel ill,**

"Same with me," Fred and Geroge nodded.

**so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows.**

**"No more studying," Ron sighed happily, stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Aura, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."**

"Would you want to see how well you did?" Lily asked.

**Aura was rubbing her forehead.**

"Stupid scar," _Aura_ muttered.

**"I wish I knew what this means!" she burst out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting—it's happened before, but never as often as this."**

**"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.**

**"I'm not ill," said Aura. "I think it's a warning... it means danger's coming..."**

_Aura _nodded a little then stopped before anyone noticed.

**Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.**

Both Ron's ears turned red at that.

**"Aura, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."**

Neville shrugged. "It's true," he said.

**Aura nodded, but she couldn't shake off a lurking feeling that there was something she'd forgotten to do, something important. When she tried to explain this, Hermione said, "That's just the exams. I woke up last night and was halfway through my Transfiguration notes before I remembered we'd done that one."**

**Aura was quite sure the unsettled feeling didn't have anything to do with work, though. She watched an owl flutter toward the school across the bright blue sky, a note clamped in its mouth. Hagrid was the only one who ever sent her letters. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past Fluffy... never... but—**

**Aura suddenly jumped to her feet.**

"What's wrong?" Alice gasped.

**"Where're you going?" said Ron sleepily.**

**"I've just thought of something," said Aura. She had turned even whiter than usual. "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now."**

**"Why?" panted Hermione, hurrying to keep up.**

**"Don't you think it's a bit odd," said Aura, scrambling up the grassy slope, "that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?"**

"Because you weren't looking for it," Frank said.

**"What are you talking about?" said Ron, but Aura, sprinting across the grounds toward the forest, didn't answer.**

"Both you and Hermione do that," _Ron_ huffed. "It drives me mad!"

**Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.**

**"Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"**

**"Yes, please," said Ron, but Aura cut him off.**

"How rude," Tonks huffed.

**"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"**

**"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "he wouldn' take his cloak off."**

"Hagrid!" the McGonagall and Snape moaned.

**He saw the three of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows.**

**"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head—that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."**

"Kept his hood up?" James said faintly.

"That can't be good," Sirius shook his head.

**Aura sank down next to the bowl of peas.**

**"What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"**

**"Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah... he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here... He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I took after... so I told him... an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon... an' then... I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks...**

"Of course, best way to get information out of Hagrid," James whispered to Sirius and Remus.

**Let's see... yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted... but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home... So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy..."**

**"And did he—did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Aura asked, trying to keep her voice calm.**

"You'd be an idiot not to be," Charlie said with a grin.

**"Well—yeah—how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep—"**

"Really Hagrid?" McGonagall moaned.

**Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.**

**"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey—where're yeh goin'?"**

"To inform a teacher," _Aura_ said.

"Who won't believe us," _Ron_ continued.

"So we'll have to save it ourselves," _Hermione_ finished.

**Aura, Ron, and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.**

**"We've got to go to Dumbledore," said Aura. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak—it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us.**

"I would," Dumbledore nodded.

**Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?"**

**They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.**

"OI!" the twins said outraged.

**"We'll just have to—" Aura began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall.**

**"What are you three doing inside?"**

**It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.**

"Phew," everyone sighed.

**"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, rather bravely, Aura and Ron thought.**

"I am a Gryffindor," Hermione said proudly.

**"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do.** **"Why?"**

"Students don't really ask to see the headmaster," McGonagall explained.

**Aura swallowed—now what?**

**"It's sort of secret," she said, but she wished at once she hadn't, because Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared.**

"I don't like secrets," McGonagall explained.

**"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."**

**"He's **_**gone**_**?" said Aura frantically. "**_**Now?**_**"**

"Bad timing that," Percy frowned.

**"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time—"**

**"But this is important."**

**"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"**

**"Look," said Aura, throwing caution to the winds,** **"Professor—it's about the Sorcerer's Stone—"**

"That will shock me," McGonagall said. "Only because students aren't supposed to know about the stone."

**Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick them up.**

**"How do you know—?" she spluttered.**

**"Professor, I think—I **_**know—**_**that Sn— that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore."**

**She eyed him with a mixture of shock and suspicion.**

**"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said finally. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."**

**"But Professor—"**

**"Potter, I know what I'm talking about,"**

**she said shortly. She bent down and gathered up the fallen books. I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."**

**But they didn't.**

**"It's tonight," said Aura, once she was sure Professor McGonagall was out of earshot. "Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."**

**"But what can we—"**

**Hermione gasped. Aura and Ron wheeled round.**

**Snape was standing there.**

**"Good afternoon," he said smoothly.**

"Was till you came up," the twins muttered.

**They stared at him.**

**"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an odd, twisted smile.**

"His smile is always twisted," Tiberius said.

**"We were—" Aura began, without any idea what she was going to say.**

**"You want to be more careful," said Snape. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?"**

"No, but we can gain them," _Aura_ and _Ron _smirked.

**Aura flushed. They turned to go outside, but Snape called them back.**

**"Be warned, Potter—any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you."**

"That's not suspicious at all," _Tiberius_ drawled.

**He strode off in the direction of the staffroom.**

**Out on the stone steps, Aura turned to the others.**

**"Right, here's what we've got to do," she whispered urgently. "One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape—wait outside the staff room and follow him if he leaves it. Hermione, you'd better do that."**

"Why?" Alice asked.

**"Why me?"**

"You could ask if you got something wrong on the exam," Ron said with a shrug.

**"It's obvious," said Ron. "You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know." He put on a high voice, "'Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got question fourteen **_**b**_** wrong...'"**

"Ronald!" Hermione huffed.

"Can't deny that it's true," Ron shrugged.

**"Oh, shut up," said Hermione, but she agreed to go and watch out for Snape.**

**"And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Aura told Ron. "Come on."**

"This can only end in tears," Sirius predicted.

**But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner had they reached the door separating Fluffy from the rest of the school than Professor McGonagall turned up again and this time, she lost her temper.**

**"I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!" she stormed. "Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor!**

"From her own house?" Bill gasped.

**Yes, Weasley, from my own house!"**

Everyone chuckled.

**Aura and Ron went back to the common room. Aura had just said, "At least Hermione's on Snape's tail," when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.**

**"I'm sorry, Aura!" she wailed. "Snape came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away, I don't know where Snape went."**

**"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Aura said.**

**The other two stared at her. She was pale and her eyes were glittering.**

"Bad sign, that," _Ron_ nodded.

**"I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first."**

**"You're mad!" said Ron.**

**"You can't!" said Hermione. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!"**

"No she won't," _Hermione_ muttered.

**"SO WHAT?" Aura shouted. "Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts!**

"Either way, it'd be bad," Lily said darkly.

**Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the house cup? If I get caught before I can get to the Stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort** **to find me there, it's only dying a bit later than I would have, because I'm never going over to the Dark Side! I'm going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me! Voldemort** **killed my parents, remember?"**

**She glared at them.**

**"You're right Aura," said Hermione in a small voice.**

**"I'll use the invisibility cloak," said Aura. "It's just lucky I got it back."**

"Yeah, it was," _Aura_ said looking up at the Headmaster.

**"But will it cover all three of us?" said Ron.**

**"All—all three of us?"**

**"Oh, come off it, you don't think we'd let you go alone?"**

"You're good friends," Tonks said.

**"Of course not," said Hermione briskly. "How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and look through my books, there might be something useful..."**

**"But if we get caught, you two will be expelled, too."**

**"Not if I can help it," said Hermione grimly. "Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."**

Everyone gaped at Hermione.

"I didn't even know it was possible to get over a hundred," James gasped.

**After dinner the three of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Aura any more, after all. This was the first night she hadn't been upset by it. Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to try to break. Aura and Ron didn't talk much. Both of them were thinking about what they were about to do.**

**Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.**

**"Better get the cloak," Ron muttered, as Ron's cousin Tiberius Prewett finally left, stretching and yawning. Aura ran upstairs to their dark dormitory. She pulled out the cloak and then her eyes fell on the flute Hagrid had given her for Christmas. She pocketed it to use on Fluffy—she didn't feel much like singing.**

"That's a shame," _Tiberius _said "You have a great voice."

_Aura _blushed "You're just saying that," she muttered. _Tiberius _grinned and _Aura _rolled her eyes.

**She ran back down to the common room.**

**"We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all three of us—if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own—"**

"Ooh!" the twins raised their eyebrows and plotted how to get that cloak away from Aura.

**"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom.**

**"Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Aura, hurriedly putting the cloak behind her back.**

**Neville stared at their guilty faces.**

**"You're going out again," he said.**

**"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"**

"It's obvious that you are though," pointed out.

**Aura looked at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep.**

**"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."**

**"You don't understand," said Aura, "this is important."**

**But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.**

"Not now!" Ron groaned.

"**I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll—I'll fight you!"**

**"**_**Neville**_**, "Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot—"**

**"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"**

"I didn't mean us," _Ron_ said.

**"Yes, but not to **_**us**_**," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."**

**He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.**

**"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"**

"Why would they hit you when they had their wands?" McGonagall inquired.

**Aura turned to Hermione.**

**"**_**Do something**_**," he said desperately.**

**Hermione stepped forward.**

**"Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this."**

"What did you do?" Fred asked.

**She raised her wand.**

"Which is already a bad sign,"

**"**_**Petrificus Totalus!**_**" she cried, pointing it at Neville.**

**Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.**

"Hermione Granger!" the twins exclaimed.

"Hexing students—"

"—setting teachers on fire—"

"…we're so proud!"

**Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.**

**"What've you done to him?" Aura whispered.**

**"It's the full Body-Bind," said Hermione miserably. "Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry."**

**"We had to, Neville, no time to explain," said Aura.**

**"You'll understand later, Neville," said Ron as they stepped over him and pulled on the invisibility cloak.**

"Now I do," Neville said with a smile.

**But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen. In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them.**

"At least you felt bad about it," McGonagall sighed.

**At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top.**

_Demon cat,_ was what went though many of the minds of the Hogwarts students.

**"Oh, let's kick her, just this once," Ron whispered in Aura's ear, but Aura shook her head, later, she thought. As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turned her lamp-like eyes on them, but didn't do anything.**

**They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves** **was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip.**

**"Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"**

"Let's go wee student beastie," Fred said with a chuckle.

**He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at them.**

**"Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."**

**Aura had a sudden idea.**

"Probably not going to work," Bill predicted.

**"Peeves," she said, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."**

Every jaw dropped in the room for Aura's quick thinking, while both Aura's were giggling.

"Minerva, do you know how lucky we are that the daughter of James Potter has not taken up pranking?" Snape asked.

"Very lucky," McGonagall nodded.

"Quick on your feet," Tonks nodded. "You'd make a good Auror, Aura."

**Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.** **"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, Sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake—I didn't see you—of course I didn't, you're invisible—forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."**

"You're forgiven Peeves," Aura said with a smile. She liked that mischief-maker, he was funny.

**"I have business here, Peeves," croaked Aura. "Stay away from this place tonight."**

**"I will, sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."**

"That was brilliant!" Remus exclaimed.

**And he scooted off**

**"**_**Brilliant**_**, Aura!" whispered Ron.**

**A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor—and the door was already ajar.**

**"Well, there you are," Aura said quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy."**

"I'm not after that stupid stone," Snape growled.

**Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them. Underneath the cloak, Aura turned to the other two.**

**"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," she said. "You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."**

**"Don't be stupid," said Ron.**

**"We're coming," said Hermione.**

"You needed us," _Hermione_ said with a small smile.

**Aura pushed the door open.**

**As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.**

**"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.**

**"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."**

**"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," said Aura. "Well, here goes..."**

**She put Hagrid's flute to her lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Aura hardly drew breath. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased—it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.**

**"Keep playing," **

"No, I'll stop and doom us all," _Aura_ said with a look to _Ron_.

**Ron warned Aura as they slipped out of the cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads.**

"Ugh," made a face.

**"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"**

**"No, I don't!"**

"I don't blame you," shook her head.

**"All right." Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.**

**"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.**

**"Nothing—just black—there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."**

**Aura, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at herself.**

Lily and James groaned**  
**

**"You want to go first? Are you sure?" said Ron. "I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep."**

**Aura handed the flute over. In the few seconds' silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep.**

"Phew!" everyone sighed.

**Aura climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom.**

**She lowered herself through the hole until she was hanging on by her fingertips. Then he looked up at Ron and said, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"**

**"Right," said Ron.**

**"See you in a minute, I hope..."**

"That didn't help," _Ron_ told _Aura_.

**And Aura let go. Cold, damp air rushed past her as she fell down, down, down and—**

**FLUMP.**

"Flump?" many people raised an eyebrow.

**With a funny, muffled sort of thump she landed on something soft. She sat up and felt around, her eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though she was sitting on some sort of plant.**

"Sprout's challenge," Hermione gasped.

**"It's okay!" she called up to the light the size of a postage stamp, which was the open trapdoor, "it's a soft landing, you can jump!"**

"We really were naïve in First Year," _Hermione_ shook her head.

**Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to Aura.**

**"What's this stuff?" were his first words.**

**"Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall.** **Come on, Hermione!"**

"Why would there be something to break the fall of someone trying stealing the stone?" Hermione asked.

**The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Aura's other side.**

**"We must be miles under the school," she said.**

"Whoa," the marauders gasped.

**"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Ron.**

**"**_**Lucky!**_**" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!"**

**She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles.**

**As for Aura and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.**

"How could you not notice?" Aura asked.

"We wanted to make sure Hermione was alright," _Aura_ told her younger self.

**Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as Ron and Aura fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.**

**"Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "I know what this is—it's Devil's Snare!"**

**"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck.**

**"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione.**

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare….it's deadly fun but will sulk in the sun," Alice said.

**"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Aura gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around her chest.**

**"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare... what did Professor Sprout say?—it likes the dark and the damp—"**

**"So light a fire!" Aura choked.**

**"Yes—of course—but there's no wood!"**

Everyone stared at Hermione in shock.

"Yes, there is," Neville said slowly. "It's called YOUR WAND!"

**Hermione cried, wringing her hands.**

**"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"**

**"Oh, right!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape**

"Now she remembers!" _Aura_ threw her hands up in the air.

**at the plant. In a matter of seconds, the two kids felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth.**

**Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.**

**"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Aura as she joined her by the wall, wiping sweat off her face.**

"Indeed," everyone else sighed.

**"Yeah," said Ron, "and lucky Aura doesn't lose her head in a crisis—'there's no wood,' honestly."**

"I'd only been in the magical world a year," _Hermione_ defended herself.

**"This way," said Aura, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way forward.**

**All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward, and Aura was reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant jolt of the heart, she remembered the dragons said to be guarding vaults in the wizards' bank. If they met a dragon, a fully-grown dragon—Norbert had been bad enough...**

"Yes, he had," Ron nodded.

**"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.**

**Aura listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.**

**"Do you think it's a ghost?"**

**"I don't know... sounds like wings to me."**

**"There's light ahead—I can see something moving."**

**They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.**

"Wonder which teacher's this one is?" Tiberius asked.

**"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" said Ron.**

**"Probably," said Aura. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once... well, there's no other choice... I'll run."**

**She took a deep breath, covered her face with her arms, and sprinted across the room. She expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at her any second, but nothing happened. She reached the door untouched. She pulled the handle, but it was locked.**

**The other two followed her. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora charm.**

"That would be pointless," Snape said.

**"Now what?" said Ron.**

**"These birds... they can't be here just for decoration," Hermione said watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering—**_**glittering**_.

"Birds don't glitter," Charlie said.

**"They're not birds!" Aura said suddenly. "They're **_**keys**_**! Winged keys—look carefully. So that must mean..." she looked around the chamber while the other two squinted up at the flock of keys. "... yes—look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"**

**"But there are **_**hundreds**_** of them!"**

**Ron examined the lock on the door.**

**"We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one—probably silver, like the handle."**

"You've got a good knack Ron," Tonks nodded. " Another good Auror in the making."

Ron's ears turned red.

**They each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one.**

**Not for nothing, though, was Aura the youngest Seeker in a century. She had a knack for spotting things other people didn't.**

_Ah, there's the arrogance I've been waiting for,_ Snape thought.

**After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, she noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.**

**"That one!" she called to the others. "That big one—there—no, there—with bright blue wings—the feathers are all crumpled on one side."**

**Ron went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and nearly fell off his broom.**

"Smooth Weasley," Snape sneered.

**"We've got to close in on it!" Aura called, not taking her eyes off the key with the damaged wing. "Ron, you come at it from above—Hermione, stay below and stop it from going down and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!"**

**Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward, the key dodged them both, and Aura streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Aura leaned forward and with a nasty, crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Ron and Hermione's cheers echoed around the high chamber.'**

"WHOO!" the twins cheered.

**They landed quickly, and Aura ran to the door, the key struggling in her hand. She rammed it into the lock and turned—it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.**

"Poor key,"

**"Ready?" Aura asked the other two, her hand on the door handle. They nodded. She pulled the door open.**

**The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.**

**They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Aura, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly—the towering white chessmen had no faces.**

"That was so creepy," _Hermione_ shuddered.

"It sounds creepy," _Tiberius _said.

**"Now what do we do?" Aura whispered.**

**"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room."**

**Behind the white pieces they could see another door.**

**"How?" said Hermione nervously.**

**"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."**

**He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.**

**"Do we—er—have to join you to get across?"**

"Yes," McGonagall nodded her head.

"Quirrell must have been good at chess then," _Ron_ muttered to _Aura_.

**The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other two.**

**"This needs thinking about he said. I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces..."**

**Aura and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess—"**

"They're not going to be offended," Tiberius shook his head.

**"We're not offended," said Aura quickly. "Just tell us what to do."**

**"Well, Aura, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go next to her instead of that castle."**

**"What about you?"**

**"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.**

**The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving three empty squares that Aura, Ron, and Hermione took.**

**"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes... look..."**

**A white pawn had moved forward two squares.**

**Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Aura's knees were trembling. What if they lost?**

"You actually think I'm going to lose?" Ron asked.

"I didn't know you were such a chess wizard," Aura said with a smile.

**"Aura—move diagonally four squares to the right."**

**Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.**

"This is quite violent," said in shock.

**"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."**

**Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Aura and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.**

"Wicked!" the twins grinned.

**"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think let me think..."**

**The white queen turned her blank face toward him.**

**"Yes..." said Ron softly, "It's the only way... I've got to be taken."**

"Are you sure that's the only way?" George asked, worried for his little brother.

**"NO!" Aura and Hermione shouted.**

"Good friends," Dumbledore said.

**"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices!**

"But not you, Ron." Bill said softly.

**I take one step forward and she'll take me—that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Aura!"**

**"But—"**

**"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"**

"Of course she does!" insisted. "She's just worried."

**"Ron—"**

**"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"**

"No, he wouldn't," _Aura_ said softly.

**There was no alternative.**

**"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go—now, don't hang around once you've won."**

**He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm,**

"NO!" Tiberius cried.

"Tiberius, still here," Ron tried to comfort him. "Now, let go! I can't breathe!"

**and he crashed to the floor—Hermione screamed but stayed on her square—the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.**

"I had!" _Ron_ nodded.

**Shaking, Aura moved three spaces to the left.**

**The white king took off his crown and threw it at Aura's feet. They had won.**

"YES!" everyone cheered.

All the Weasleys looked at Ron, worriedly. What damage had been done?

**The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Aura and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.**

**"What if he's—?"**

"Thanks guys," _Ron_ said softly.

**"He'll be all right," said Aura, trying to convince herself. "What do you reckon's next?"**

"Horror, smelly horror," _Aura_ muttered

**"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's."**

**They had reached another door.**

**"All right?" Aura whispered**

**"Go on."**

**Aura pushed it open.**

**A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.**

"Convenient," Sirius muttered.

**"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Aura whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe."**

"It did smell horrible," _Hermione_ nodded.

**She pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next—but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.**

**"Snape's," said Aura. "What do we have to do?"**

"I find myself intrigued," Remus noted.

**They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.**

**"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Aura looked over her shoulder to read it:**

_**Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,**_

_**Two of us will help you, which ever you would find,**_

_**One among us seven will let you move ahead,**_

_**Another will transport the drinker back instead,**_

_**Two among our number hold only nettle wine,**_

_**Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line.**_

_**Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,**_

_**To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:**_

_**First, however slyly the poison tries to hide**_

_**You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;**_

_**Second, different are those who stand at either end,**_

_**But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;**_

_**Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,**_

_**Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;**_

_**Fourth, the second left and the second on the right**_

_**Are twins once you taste them, though different at firstsight.**_

Almost everyone blinked "What?"

**Hermione let out a great sigh and Aura, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing she felt like doing.**

**"**_**Brilliant**_**," said Hermione. "This isn't magic—it's logic—a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."**

"Thank Merlin Hermione has logic," Bill sighed. He didn't want Aura and Hermione to be stuck there.

**"But so will we, won't we?"**

"You've got Hermione," Percy said. "You'll be fine."

**"Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."**

**"But how do we know which to drink?"**

**"Give me a minute."**

**Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.**

**"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire—toward the Stone."**

**Aura looked at the tiny bottle.**

**"There's only enough there for one of us," he said. "That's hardly one swallow."**

"So Aura'll go by herself," Ron predicted.

**They looked at each other.**

**"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"**

**Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.**

"You're amazing," Ron, Neville, Tiberius and Aura told Hermione.

**"You drink that," said Aura. "No, listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy—go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him.**

"Why did you not do that to begin with?" asked a very worried Lily.

**I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."**

Snape blinked. He had thought the brat was as arrogant as her father but he was beginning to see that she did have some Lily in her, besides their looks.

**"But Aura—what if You-Know-Who's with him?"**

**"Well—I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Aura, pointing at her scar. "I might get lucky again."**

"Luck?" McGonagall balked. "Ms. Potter, you were relying on _luck!_"

_Aura _shrank back a litle "Maybe."

**Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Aura and threw her arms around her.**

**"**_**Hermione!**_**"**

**"Aura—you're a great witch, you know."**

**"I'm not as good as you," said Aura, very embarrassed, as she let go of her.**

**"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things—friendship and bravery and—oh Aura—be **_**careful**_**!"**

"Are you saying that books aren't important?" Geroge asked.

"I'm saying there are more important things," Hermione defended herself.

**"You drink first," said Aura. "You are sure which is which, aren't you?"**

"Doubting me, Ms. Potter?" _Hermione_ asked.

"Didn't want you to be poisoned," _Aura_ said with a small smile.

**"Positive," said Hermione. She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.**

**"It's not poison?" said Aura anxiously.**

**"No—but it's like ice."**

**"Quick, go, before it wears off."**

**"Good luck—take care."**

**"GO!"**

**Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.**

**Aura took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. She turned to face the black flames.**

**"Here I come," she said, and she drained the little bottle in one gulp.**

"It wasn't pleasant," Aura muttered.

**It was indeed as though ice was flooding her body. She put the bottle down and walked forward; she braced herself, saw the black flames licking her body, but couldn't feel them—for a moment she could see nothing but dark fire—then she was on the other side, in the last chamber.**

"Alone," Lily squeaked.

**There was already someone there—but it wasn't Snape.**

"What?" everyone who doubted Snape gasped.

"Told ya," Snape muttered.

**It wasn't even Voldemort.**

"Then who vas it?" Fred asked.

"Well, we'll have to read the next chapter to find out," _Tiberius_ said. "Aunt Molly, would you like to read?"

"It would be my pleasure," smiled. _Tiberius_ got up and handed his aunt the book.

* * *

I'm going to winefest tomorrow, so that will be fun...please review.


	17. The man with two faces

DC: I own nothing.

Oh yeah anyone who wants to read my Reading HON sorry for not having it up on sunday I went to the winefest on saturday and on sunday I was either really angry or really sad for no reason, so I couldn't write, sorry!

* * *

"**The Man With Two Faces," **Mrs. Weasley read.

"But people normally have one," Tonks said confused.

**It was Quirrell.**

"Quirrell?" everyone else asked.

"I knew it." Snape muttered under his breath

**"**_**You!**_**" gasped Aura.**

"Evil git," _Aura_ muttered.

**Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.**

"He faked it?" Tiberius gasped.

"That git!" Fred muttered

"That was annoying as hell!" Geroge grumbled.

**"Me," he said calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter."**

**"But I thought—Snape—"**

"As we all did," Ron nodded, then shrank a bit under Snape's glare.

**"Severus?" Quirrell laughed, and it wasn't his usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp.**

"Sorry professor/Snape," all who doubted the man said shamefaced.

**"Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"**

"Don't say a word Albus," Snape muttered.

**Aura couldn't take it in. This couldn't be true, it couldn't.**

**"But Snape tried to kill me!"**

"Under Dumbledore's nose?" James asked.

**"No, no, no. **_**I**_** tried to kill you.** **Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match.**

"Breaking rules saves lives," _Ron_ said sagely.

**She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a countercurse, trying to save you."**

"He was trying to save you!" Mrs. Granger gasped.

**"Snape was trying to save me?"**

"I know mate," _Ron_ said with a sigh. "I can't believe it either."

Lily smiled at her old friend "Thank you Sev,"

Snape nodded, trying to look as cold and evil as usual but everyone could see a small smile on the man's face.

**"Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again.** **Funny, really... he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he **_**did**_** make himself unpopular...**

"Do I look as if I care for popularity?" Snape sneered.

**and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight."**

"No you're not!" James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily shouted.

**Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Aura.**

**"You're too nosy to live, Potter.**

"She is not!"

**Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."**

**"**_**You**_** let the troll in?"**

**"Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls**

"Why would you want one?" Frank asked.

—**you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there?**

**Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me,**

"Why did you suspect him?" McGonagall asked.

**went straight to the third floor to head me off—and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death,** **that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly.**"

**"Now, wait quietly, Potter. I need to examine this interesting mirror."**

**It was only then that Aura realized what was standing behind Quirrell. It was the Mirror of Erised.**

"Not that damn mirror again," Alice huffed.

**"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell murmured, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this... but he's in London... I'll be far away by the time he gets back..."**

"Or you'll be dead," Ron shrugged.

**All Aura could think of doing was to keep Quirrell talking and stop him from concentrating on the mirror.**

**"I saw you and Snape in the forest—" she blurted out.**

"That sounds so wrong mate," Neville said shuddering.

**"Yes," said Quirrell idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me—as though he could, when I had Lord Voldemort** **on my side..."**

"WHAT?"

**Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it.**

**"I see the Stone... I'm presenting it to my master... but where is it?"**

**Aura struggled against the ropes binding her, but they didn't give. She **_**had**_** to keep Quirrell from giving her whole attention to the mirror.**

"Smart," Sirius nodded.

**"But Snape always seemed to hate me so much."**

"For reasons we will never know," Hermione sighed.

"We know," _Hermione _told her younger self.

**"Oh, he does," said Quirrell casually, "heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn't you know? They loathed each other.** **But he never wanted you dead."**

"That's a comfort," Aura said with a shrug.

**"But I heard you a few days ago, sobbing—I thought Snape was threatening you..."**

**For the first time, a spasm of fear flitted across Quirrell's face.**

**"Sometimes," he said, "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions—he is a great wizard**

"A great pain in the arse," _Tiberius_ and Fabian muttered.

**and I am weak—"**

"So true," _Hermione_ nodded her head.

**"You mean he was there in the classroom with you?" Aura gasped.**

**"He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly. **

"Please tell me he just means You-Know-Who's teachings?" begged.

**"I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort** **showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it...**

"Does that mean Percy's evil?" Tiberius whispered to Ron. "He's always so power hungry."

"Nah," Ron assured his cousin. "Percy is just a moron."

**Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me." Quirrell shivered suddenly. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me... decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me..."**

"How did he decide to do this?" Lily asked.

**Quirrell's voice trailed away. Aura was remembering her trip to Diagon Alley—how could she have been so stupid?** **She'd seen Quirrell there that very day, shaken hands with him in the Leaky Cauldron.**

"Yes Aura because every wizard is expected to find an evil git on their first trip to Diagon Ally," George shook his head.

**Quirrell cursed under his breath.**

**"I don't understand... is the Stone **_**inside**_** the mirror?** **Should I break it?"**

"You really went all out huh sir?" _Aura_ asked the headmaster, grinning, Dumbledore smiled back and offered no answer.

**Aura's mind was racing.**

_**What I want more than anything else in the world at the moment**_**, she thought, **_**is to find the Stone before Quirrell does So if I look in the mirror, I should see myself finding it—which means I'll see where it's hidden! But how can I look without Quirrell realizing what I'm up to?**_

"Brilliant Aura!" James nodded.

**She tried to edge to the left, to get in front of the glass without Quirrell noticing, but the ropes around her ankles were too tight: she tripped and fell over.**

**Quirrell ignored her. He was still talking to himself.**

"First sign of insanity," _Aura _and Aura both said in a sing song manner.

**"What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"**

"He can't hear him though," Percy said though he sounded like he was almost begging.

**And to Aura's horror, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself.**

_**"Use the girl... Use the girl..."**_

"No!" Lily and James gasped not daring to believe it.

**Quirrell rounded on Aura.**

**"Yes—Potter—come here."**

**He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding Aura fell off. Aura got slowly to her feet.**

**"Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see."**

**Aura walked toward him.** _**I must lie**_**, she thought desperately. **_**I must look and lie about what I see that's all**_

"Good idea," Alice nodded.

**Quirrell moved close behind her. Aura breathed in the funny smell that seemed to come from Quirrell's turban. She closed her eyes, stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again.**

**She saw her reflection, pale and scared-looking at first. But a moment later, the reflection smiled at her. It put its hand into its pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. It winked and put the Stone back in its pocket—and as it did so, Aura felt something heavy drop into her real pocket.**

**Somehow—incredibly—**_**She'd gotten the Stone**_**.**

"How is that possible?" everyone gasped.

Dumbledore smiled, so, he thought, it will work that's good to know.

**"Well?" said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?"**

**Aura screwed up her courage.**

**"I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," she invented. "I—I've won the house cup for Gryffindor."**

"Believable lie Aura," Fred nodded. Snape had to admit; the red-haired annoyance had a point.

**Quirrell cursed again.**

**"Get out of the way," he said. As Aura moved aside, she felt the Sorcerer's Stone against her leg. Dare she make a break for it?**

"YES!"

**But she hadn't walked five paces before a high voice spoke, though Quirrell wasn't moving his lips.**

**"She lies... She lies..."**

"Damn." _Tiberius_ muttered.

**"Potter, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you just see?"**

**The high voice spoke again.**

**"Let me speak to her... face-to-face..."**

"How could he do that?" Mrs. Weasley asked, inturppeting herself. "I mean, it's not like he's in the room with…"

**"Master, you are not strong enough!"**

**"I have strength enough... for this..."**

"That does not sound good!" McGonagall fretted.

**Aura felt as if Devil's Snare was rooting her to the spot. She couldn't move a muscle. Petrified, she watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban. What was going on? The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot.**

**Aura would have screamed, but she couldn't make a sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Aura had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.**

"GAH!" all the first years, Tiberius and the twins screamed.

"THAT IS SICK AND WRONG!" Ron roared.

Fred paled.

"What is it Fred?" George asked.

"The snowballs," Fred said and George paled too.

_Aura _shrugged, looking very calm. "Just remember, you guys didn't have to actually _see_ his face."

Aura looked like she was about to barf "I'm going to have to see _that_."

**"Aurora Potter..." it whispered.**

**Aura tried to take a step backward but her legs wouldn't move.**

**"See what I have become?"**

"Please stay that way," Lily begged.

**the face said. "Mere shadow and vapor ... I have form only when I can share another's body... but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds... Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks... you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest... and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own... Now... why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"**

"How does he know that?" Bill asked.

**So he knew. The feeling suddenly surged back into Aura's legs. She stumbled backward.**

**"Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Better save your own life and join me... or you'll meet the same end as your parents... They died begging me for mercy..."**

"THAT'S A LIE!" Aura shouted.

"Aura, calm down," Hermione soothed her best friend.

Snape gripped the arm of his chair tightly. Lily would never have begged for anything from the Dark Lord.

**"LIAR!" Aura shouted suddenly.**

"You tell him Aura!" Charlie cheered.

**Quirrell was walking backward at her, so that Voldemort could still see her. The evil face was now smiling.**

**"How touching..." it hissed. "I always value bravery...**

"Yeah right," _Aura_ rolled her eyes.

**Yes, girl, your parents were brave... I killed your father first; and he put up a courageous fight...** **but your mother needn't have died... she was trying to protect you...** **Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain."**

The staff in the room sighed sadly. They missed Lily and James dreadfully, and knew how horrible it must have been for _Aura_ to hear that right then.

**"NEVER!"**

"Go Aura!" Frank and Fabian cheered.

**Aura sprang toward the flame door, but Voldemort** **screamed "SEIZE HER!" and the next second, Aura felt Quirrell's hand close on her small wrist. At once, a needle-sharp pain seared across Aura's scar; her head felt as though it was about to split in two; she yelled, struggling with all her might, and to her surprise, Quirrell let go of her. **

"What?" Lily gasped.

_Tiberius _looked at his girlfriend, worried, trying to look for injures.

_Aura _rolled her eyes "I'm fine mum, _Tiberius, _honey stop I'm not hurt, so stop."

**The pain in her head lessened—she looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers—they were blistering before his eyes.**

"How is that possible?" Remus wondered.

**"Seize her! SEIZE HER!" shrieked Voldemort** **again, and Quirrell lunged, knocking Aura clean off her feet, landing on top of her, both hands around Aura's neck—**

"That bloody bastard!"

_"TIBERIUS FABIAN PREWWETT! _Watch your tounge young man!" Mrs. Weasley yelled**  
**

**Aura's scar was almost blinding her with pain, yet she could see Quirrell howling in agony.**

**"Master, I cannot hold her—my hands—my hands!"**

**And Quirrell, though pinning Aura to the ground with his knees, let go of her neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms—Aura could see they looked burned, raw, red, and shiny.**

"That's….odd." _Hermione_ said after a few minutes.

**"Then kill her, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort.**

"NO!"

**Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse,** **but Aura, by instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face—**

"Smart, rely on instinct," Tonks and Sirius nodded.

**"AAAARGH!"**

**Quirrell rolled off her, his face blistering, too,**

"He can't touch you!" Hermione gasped. "But why?"

**and then Aura knew: Quirrell couldn't touch her bare skin, not without suffering terrible pain—her only chance was to keep hold of Quirrell, keep him in enough pain to stop him from doing a curse.**

**Aura jumped to her feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as she could. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Aura off—the pain in Aura's head was building—she couldn't see—she could only hear Quirrell's terrible shrieks and Voldemort's** **yells of, "KILL HER! KILL HER!" and other voices, maybe in Aura's own head, crying, "Aura! Aura!"**

"Who was that?" Snape asked.

**She felt Quirrell's arm wrenched from her grasp, knew all was lost, and fell into blackness, down ... down... down...**

"NO!" Aura's friends shouted.

**Something gold was glinting just above her. The Snitch!**

"_Aura_," _Hermione_ shook her head fondly.

**She tried to catch it, but her arms were too heavy.**

**She blinked. It wasn't the Snitch at all. It was a pair of glasses. How strange.**

**She blinked again. The smiling face of Albus Dumbledore swam into view above her.**

**"Good afternoon, Aurora," said Dumbledore.**

**Aura stared at him. Then she remembered: "Sir! The Stone! It was Quirrell! He's got the Stone! Sir, quick—"**

"You don't waste any time, do you?" Remus asked, amused.

**"Calm yourself, dear girl, you are a little behind the times," said Dumbledore. "Quirrell does not have the Stone."**

"Good!"

**"Then who does? Sir, I—"**

**"Aurora, please relax, or Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out."**

"We'd pay to see that!" The twins called.

**Aura swallowed and looked around her. She realized she must be in the hospital wing. She was lying in a bed with white linen sheets, and next to her was a table piled high with what looked like half the candy shop.**

"More like three quarters," _Ron_ said.

**"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Dumbledore, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you.**

The twins high-fived while everyone rolled their eyes or in Mrs. Weasley's case glaring at her boys.**  
**

**Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it."**

"Drat!" Fred muttered.

**"How long have I been in here?"**

**"Three days. Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will be most relieved you have come round, they have been extremely worried."**

"We were!" _Ron_ and _Hermione_ nodded.

**"But sir, the Stone—"**

"**I see you are not to be distracted. Very well, the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that, although you were doing very well on your own, I must say."**

**"You got there? You got Hermione's owl?"**

**"We must have crossed in midair. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off you."**

"And how lucky it was that he came when he did," Aura nodded quickly.

**"It was **_**you**_**."**

**"I feared I might be too late."**

**"You nearly were, I couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer—"**

"Don't you care about your own life?" Hermione asked.

"No, she doesn't." _Ron _said

**"Not the Stone, my dear, you—the effort involved nearly killed you."**

The kids all gasped

" **For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had.** **As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."**

**"Destroyed?" said Aura blankly. "But your friend—Nicolas Flamel—"**

**"Oh, you know about Nicolas?" said Dumbledore, sounding quite delighted. "You **_**did**_** do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat,**

"Albus?" McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "How did you know that Ms. Potter would be meddling?"

"This is the future Professer, so I'm afraid I have no clue." Dumbledore feinged innocence.

**and agreed it's all for the best."**

**"But that means he and his wife will die, won't they?"**

**"They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die."**

"Probably best," Hermione said. "No one should live forever, it'd get depressing."

**Dumbledore smiled at the look of amazement on Aura's face.**

**"To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, **_**very**_** long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.**

"Hopefully that one's far away for me!" Sirius said.

**You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all—the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."**

"True," McGonagall nodded.

**Aura lay there, lost for words. Dumbledore hummed a little and smiled at the ceiling.**

**"Sir?" said Aura. "I've been thinking... sir—even if the Stone's gone, Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who—"**

**"Call him Voldemort,** **Aurora. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."**

"True." _Aura _nodded.

**"Yes, sir. Well, Voldemort's** **going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?"**

**"No, Aurora, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share... not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies. Nevertheless, Aurora, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time—and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power."**

**Aura nodded, but stopped quickly, because it made her head hurt. Then she said, "Sir, there are some other things I'd like to know, if you can tell me... things I want to know the truth about..."**

**"The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."**

"But you won't tell me a thing either," Aura pointed out.

**"Well... Voldemort** **said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?"**

**Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time.**

**"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day... put it from your mind for now, Aurora. When you are older... I know you hate to hear this... when you are ready, you will know."**

"Well now we all want to know," Hermione and Aura pouted.

**And Aura knew it would be no good to argue.**

**"But why couldn't Quirrell touch me?"**

"Another good question," Remus nodded.

**"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort** **cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."**

Some of the girls had tears in their eyes and the boys felt uncomfortable. Aura looked down to avoid all the sad look but mainly so that no one would notice the tears in her eyes.

Aura looked up surprised when she felt her mother's around her, Lily smiled "I do it million times if I had to." Lily told her daughter, Aura smiled and hugged her mother back. Lily smiled again when she felt _Aura _hug her too, it was a little werid to be hugged by your daughter and her future self but Lily didn't mind.

Snape relaxed his grip on the chair arm and sighed. Lily should have taken the offer but she had been a mother and, if his own mother had been an example, she would not have wanted her child to die.

**Dumbledore now became very interested in a bird out on the windowsill, which gave Aura time to dry her eyes on the sheet. When she had found her voice again, Aura said, "And the invisibility cloak—do you know who sent it to me?"**

"Aura's on a roll with these good questions!" Fred said trying to lighten the mood.

"For once." _Ron _added, _Aura _smacked him in the arm. "Ow." he muttered, rubbing his arm

**"Ah—your father happened to leave it in my possession,** **and I thought you might like it." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Useful things... your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here."**

"Wicked!" the twins and Tiberius exclaimed.

**"And there's something else..."**

**"Fire away."**

**"Quirrell said Snape—"**

**"**_**Professor**_** Snape, Aurora."**

**"Yes, him—**

Everyone laughed.

**Quirrell said he hates me because he hated my father. Is that true?"**

**"Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr. Malfoy. And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive."**

**"What?"**

**"He saved his life."**

"Why could you never forgive that?" Mr. Granger asked.

**"**_**What?**_**"**

**"Yes..." said Dumbledore dreamily. "Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt... I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace..."**

"That actually made sense," _Hermione_ said.

**Aura tried to understand this but it made her head pound, so she stopped.**

**"And sir, there's one more thing..."**

**"Just the one?"**

**"How did I get the Stone out of the mirror?"**

**"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something.** **You see, only one who wanted to **_**find**_** the Stone—find it, but not use it—would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. My brain surprises even me sometimes... **

"How modest," Snape sneered under his breath.

**Now, enough questions. I suggest you make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit-flavored one,**

"Yuck," All the girls made a face.

**and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them—but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?"**

"Not going to end up being toffee," Remus said as if he had experience in the matter.

**He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Ear wax!"**

"EWWW!" all the kids shuddered.

**Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict.**

**"Just five minutes," Aura pleaded.**

**"Absolutely not."**

**"You let Professor Dumbledore in..."**

**"Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You need **_**rest**_**."**

**"I am resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey..."**

**"Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes **_**only**_**."**

James, Remus, and Sirius were looking at both Aura's with their mouths hanging open, Madam Pomfrey _never _made exceptions, not for _anyone._

**And she let Ron and Hermione in.**

**"**_**Aura!**_**"**

**Hermione looked ready to fling her arms around her again, but Aura was glad she held herself in as her head was still very sore.**

_Hermione _shrugged "You looked horrible."**  
**

**"Oh, Aura, we were sure you were going to—Dumbledore was so worried—"**

**"The whole school's talking about it,"**

"Not truthfully though," _Aura_ pointed out.

"_Aura_, only you could think that we had the imagination to come up with something that crazy," _Ron_ said.

**said Ron. "What really happened?"**

**It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumors. Aura told them everything: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort.** **Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Aura told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud.**

"It wasn't as detailed as this one was though," _Hermione_ said with a shudder.

**"So the Stone's gone?" said Ron finally. "Flamel's just going to **_**die**_**?"**

**"That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that—what was it?—'to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."**

**"I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.**

"Sorry Professor!" Both Ron's said with a sheepish smile.

**"So what happened to you two?" said Aura.**

**"Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round—that took a while—and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall—he already knew—he just said, 'Aura's gone after him, hasn't she?' and hurtled off to the third floor."**

McGonagall shot Dumbledore a look.

**"D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"**

**"**_**Well**_**, " Hermione exploded, "if he did—I mean to say that's terrible—you could have been killed."**

"Excellent point Ms. Granger," McGonagall nodded.

**"No, it isn't," said Aura thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance.** **I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort** **if I could..."**

**"Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course—you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you—but the food'll be good."**

"The food is the most important thing of course," _Hermione_ teased her fiance.

**At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.**

**"You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT," she said firmly.**

"But it's boring being there all alone!" _Aura_ huffed.

**After a good night's sleep, Aura felt nearly back to normal.**

"**I want to go to the feast," she told Madam Pomfrey as she straightened her many candy boxes. "I can, can't I?"**

**"Professor Dumbledore says you are to be allowed to go," she said sniffily, as though in her opinion Professor Dumbledore didn't realize how risky feasts could be. "And you have another visitor."**

**"Oh, good," said Aura. "Who is it?"**

**Hagrid sidled through the door as he spoke. As usual when he was indoors, Hagrid looked too big to be allowed. He sat down next to Aura, took one look at her, and burst into tears.**

"Hagrid!" _Aura_ shook her head.

**"It's—all—my—ruddy—fault!" he sobbed, his face in his hands. "I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn't know, an' I told him! Yeh could've died! All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again!**

"That won't last," George predicted.

**I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!"**

"We would never do that Hagrid!" McGonagall said shocked.

**"Hagrid!" said Aura, shocked to see Hagrid shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down into his beard. "Hagrid, he'd have found out somehow, this is Voldemort** **we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you hadn't told him."**

**"Yeh could've died!" sobbed Hagrid. "An' don' say the name!"**

**"VOLDEMORT!"** **Aura bellowed, and Hagrid was so shocked, he stopped crying.**

Everyone else was so shocked they forgot to flinch.

**"I've met him and I'm calling him by his name. Please cheer up, Hagrid, we saved the Stone, it's gone, he can't use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, I've got loads..."**

"Awww!" some of the girls cooed and the Aura's flushed.

**Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, "That reminds me. I've got yeh a present."**

**"It's not a stoat sandwich, is it?" said Aura anxiously, and at last Hagrid gave a weak chuckle.**

"At least you asked," _Tiberius_ nodded.

**"Nah. Dumbledore gave me the day off yesterday ter fix it. 'Course, he shoulda sacked me instead**

"No he shouldn't have!" Everyone insisted.

—**anyway, got yeh this..."**

**It seemed to be a handsome, leather-covered book. Aura opened it curiously. It was full of wizard photographs. Smiling and waving at her from every page were her mother and father.**

Everyone there was reminded of how Aura had never seen a photo of her parents before and their hatred of the Dursleys went up even more, while Lily and James hugged both girls sadly.

**"Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos... knew yeh didn' have any... d'yeh like it?"**

**Aura couldn't speak, but Hagrid understood.**

**Aura made her way down to the end-of-year feast alone that night. She had been held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about, insisting on giving her one last checkup, so the Great Hall was already full. It was decked out in the Slytherin colors of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the house cup for the seventh year in a row.**

"Yeah right," All the people from the future grinned at each other secretly.

**A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.**

"Can we be sick now?" The twins, the marauders, Fabian, Frank, and Tiberius asked.

**When Aura walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. She slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at her.**

Aura groaned.

**Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away.**

"Thank Merlin!" Aura muttered.

**"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle** **before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts...**

"Hear Hear!" George nodded.

**"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points;** **in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."**

**A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Aura could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. It was a sickening sight.**

"I bet," Sirius muttered.

**"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."**

"Right then?" Lily asked.

**The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.**

"Good!"

**"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes...**

**"First—to Mr. Ronald Weasley..."**

**Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.**

"MATE!" Ron groaned.

**"...for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."**

"It really was, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said.

**Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"**

_He actually cares?_ Ron thought shocked.

**At last there was silence again.**

**"Second—to Miss Hermione Granger... for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."**

**Hermione buried her face in her arms; Aura strongly suspected she had burst into tears.**

"I did not!" _Hermione_ huffed.

**Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves—they were a hundred points up.**

**"Third—to Ms. Aurora Potter..." said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet, "for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."**

"You're tied with Slytherin!" Tonks gasped.

**The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points—exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup—if only Dumbledore had given Aura just one more point.**

**Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.**

**"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."**

"GO NEVILLE!" many people cheered, while Neville turned red as a tomato.

**Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Aura, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. **

Neville frowned.

**Aura, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.**

Everyone burst out in peals of laughter.

**"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration."**

**He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place.**

Snape scowled. That was so unfair to his Snakes, especially the first years.

**Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile. He caught Aura's eye and Aura knew at once that Snape's feelings toward her hadn't changed one jot.**

"Nope," _Aura_ nodded.

**This didn't worry Aura. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts.**

**It was the best evening of Aura's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls... she would never, ever forget tonight.**

"You are weird!" Charlie said. "Earning points is better than knocking out a fully grown mountain troll?"

**Aura had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. To their great surprise, both she and Ron passed with good marks; Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years.**

"Big surprise," Everyone chuckled

**Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one. They had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.**

"That was very wise Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore nodded.

**And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, Neville's toad was found lurking in a corner of the girl's dorm scaring Lanvender and Pavarti;** **notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays ("I always hope they'll forget to give us these," said Fred Weasley sadly);**

"We never will!" McGonagall said with a look.

**Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.**

**It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard** **was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.**

"Wouldn't it alarm the Muggles to have someone coming out of a wall to begin with?" James asked.

**"You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, "both of you—I'll send you an owl."**

**"Thanks," said Aura, "I'll need something to look forward to."**

**People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:**

**"Bye, Aura!"**

**"See you, Potter!"**

**"Still famous," said Ron, grinning at her.**

**"Not where I'm going, I promise you," said Aura.**

_Tiberius_ glared at the book.

**She, Ron, and Hermione passed through the gateway together.**

**"Here she is, Aunt Molly, here she is, look!"**

**It was Tiberius Prewwett, Ron's older cousin, pointing over at the three of them.  
**

**"Aurora Potter!" he yelled. "Look, Aunt Molly! It's Aurora Po— "**

Both Tiberius' faces turned as red as their hair.

**"Be quiet, Tiberius, and it's rude to point."**

**Mrs. Weasley smiled down at them.**

**"Busy year?" she said.**

**"Very," said Aura. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs. Weasley."**

**"Oh, it was nothing, dear."**

**"Ready, are you?"**

**It was Uncle Vernon,**

"You mean Uncle Walrus," Fred said.

"But that's an insult to a walrus," Tiberius said with a frown.

**still purple-faced, still mustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Aura, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people.**

**Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Aura.**

**"You must be Aura's family!" said Mrs. Weasley.**

"Wow is she optimistic!" George blinked.

**"In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Vernon. "Hurry up, girl, we haven't got all day."**

"Oi!" all the Weasleys huffed. It was bad enough that he was horrible to Aura -their new sister in their minds- but that was their mum he was rude to!

**He walked away.**

**Aura hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione.**

**"See you over the summer, then."**

**"Hope you have—er—a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.**

"I was," _Hermione_ nodded.

**"Oh, I will," said Aura, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over her face. "**_**They**_** don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer..."**

"That's very Slytherin of you Potter," Snape said.

"That's the end of the book," Mrs. Weasley said. "It's 10:35, I think it's time we go to bed we can start the next book tomrrow." She looked around, all the kids looked like they were about to pass out

"Good idea, Molly, we'll continue tomrrow." Dumbledore said standing up from his chair "Well goodnight everyone." He headed upstairs to do some thinking while all the parents got their children into bed.

* * *

The end of book one sorry if the ending sucked I couldn't think of anything. Sorry!


	18. AN

Hi people, just wanted to tell you y'all can find the next book on my profile if ya to read. I hope you've enjoyed Aurora Potter and the philosopher's stone and I hope you like Aurora Potter and the chamber of secrets it you read it! :)

Nightmare7795


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